Utah Improves to 4-0 After a 78-45 Win Over Cincinnati

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah women's basketball improved to 4-0 on the season following a 78-45 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
 
The Utes (4-0) defense held the Bearcats (2-2) to 29 percent shooting in the game. Utah was led in scoring by Kennady McQueen with 15 points. She was 3-for-5 on three-pointers, which tied her career-high. Dasia Young led the team with 12 rebounds in the game.
 
Coming out of the gate, Utah scored eight points in the first minute and a half and took an 8-0 lead. Kennady McQueen led the way with five of the eight points. McQueen made it 11-0 30 seconds later after she hit her second three of the game. The lead grew to 13-0 before the Bearcats would get on the scoreboard. Utah's shooting stayed hot as Brynna Maxwell had a four-point play late in the first quarter, and Utah took a 23-9 lead after one quarter. In the quarter, Dasia Young was a rebounding machine as she collected ten rebounds.
 
Like the first quarter, the Utes came out and scored the first eight points of the quarter, and that was capped by a Kemery Martín driving layup that put the Utes ahead 31-9. Utah continued to hold onto a comfortable lead, and a driving layup by Jenna Johnson put the Utes ahead by 24, 38-14. Utah stretched the lead to 25 points, 44-19, ending into halftime. The Utes shot 43 percent in the first half while holding Cincinnati to shoot 26 percent in the half.
 
Cincinnati tried to make a run to start the second half and trim the Utes lead, but back-to-back buckets by Jenna Johnson put Utah ahead by 27, 50-23. After the Bearcats got the lead down to 21, Utah closed the quarter on a 10-2 run and stretched the lead back to 29, 60-31, after the third quarter of play.
 
Utah extended its lead to 30 points in the first two and a half minutes of the final quarter when Isabel Palmer hit a jumper in the paint. The Bearcats made a slow charge at the Utes but could not get the lead under 20 points. Utah held the Bearcats scoreless for the final 2:30 of the game and came away with a 78-45 victory. 
 
GAME LEADERS
Utah was led in scoring by Kennady McQueen, the lone scorer in double-digits, with 15 points. Dasia Young led the team with 12 rebounds in the game. She had two offensive rebounds and ten on the defensive end. Her 12 rebounds are a season-high. 
 
TALKING ABOUT THE GAME: HEAD COACH LYNNE ROBERTS
On the performance of the team
It was a little sloppy tonight, especially in the second half. We didn't shoot well tonight, or at least like we have. Our percentages were above 50-percent for the season, and we didn't get that tonight. To still score 78 points and still win by 33 is amazing for us. Our defense was on point, and we killed the rebounds, 50/50 balls we won a lot of, we just showed a lot of toughness.
 
On the rebounding
Every day we've emphasized rebounding. I don't care who we play, and it's something we want to do well in. I start every practice with a rebounding drill. I think our girls have done an amazing job at buying in and emphasizing how critical rebounding is. We're going to emphasize rebounding.
 
STANDOUT STAT
The Utes corralled 59 rebounds in the contest against the Bearcats. This is the most rebounds in a single game for the Utes this season. Utah outrebounded Cincinnati by 26 rebounds in the game, which is over its rebounding margin in a game. Entering tonight, Utah ranked 10th in the nation in rebounding margin.  
 
UP NEXT
Utah returns to action on Friday, Nov. 26, when they head to Hawaii to participate in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. Utah will face Gonzaga in the first game of the tournament. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. MT. The game will be aired on 105.5 KOOL FM.
 
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along during the 2021-22 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).