It was bound to happen, and it took a top-10-ranked team to do it. Utah, which has been at or near the top of the Pac-12 Conference all season long and is enjoying one of its finest seasons ever, played a strong offensive game. An opponent finally solved the Lindsay Gottlieb-Beth Burns defense which has been carrying USC women’s basketball this season.
Utah produced three quarters with at least 20 points on Friday night in Salt Lake City, en route to an 83-73 win. USC entered this game having allowed fewer than 20 total quarters with at least 20 points allowed this season. Former Trojan Alissa Pili scored 21 points to lead Utah to a 20-point lead. USC cut that lead to six points late in the fourth quarter, but that’s as close as the Trojans got.
The Utes were sharpened by defeat last week against No. 3 Stanford. The Cardinal played an elite defensive game against Utah and exposed the Utes’ limitations. Unfortunately for USC, Utah carried the lessons and adjustments from the Stanford game into this contest versus the Trojans.
It was a game USC always figured to lose, but now the Trojans need to be the team which learns and benefits from a loss. USC will try to get back on track at the defensive end of the floor on Sunday in Boulder against Colorado. The Buffaloes just knocked off UCLA on Friday night, so they will be very, very tough to beat.
USC’s NCAA Tournament position isn’t hurt by a loss to a top-10 Utah team, but the Trojans could really boost their odds if they can grab a win in Boulder on Sunday. Increasing — not reducing — margin for error is the goal of this Mountain road trip. One win would be huge. No wins would not be a devastating outcome, but it would mean USC would have to hold serve in its upcoming home games versus beatable Pac-12 opponents.
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