CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's basketball team outscored Utah Valley 65-46 over the final three quarters of the game to claim a 71-58 victory over the Wolverines on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the America First Event Center. The Thunderbirds improve to 4-9 overall and 2-2 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Wolverines fall to 5-8 and 0-4 in WAC play.
HEAD COACH TRACY MASON SAYS
"We played hard for 40 minutes and executed the game plan. We struggled to score in the first quarter, but we figured it out and I'm just really proud of our performance."
Link to Full Post-Game Interview
T-BIRD TIDBITS
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Southern Utah won the rebounding battle, corralling 41 rebounds compared to just 29 for Utah Valley.
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The Thunderbirds connected on 49.1 percent of their attempts from the field, while limiting Utah Valley to only 35.6 percent shooting overall.
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SUU dominated in the paint, outscoring UVU 34-22 down low.
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Seven total players registered a field goal for the Thunderbirds, with four players scoring over 10 points.
TOP T-BIRDS
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Ava Uhrich led the way for SUU, recording her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds on 7-11 shooting from the field.
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Daylani Ballena had an impressive outing for the Thunderbirds, tallying 16 points and a season-high eight assists.
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Samantha Johnston canned four shots from behind the arc en route to scoring a season-high 15 points.
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Shiho Isono was the fourth T-Bird to reach double-figures, scoring a season-best 11 points in addition to grabbing five boards.
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Alexa Lord played an impressive all-around game with four points, five rebounds, two steals, and a career-high four blocks.
GAME RECAP
First Half
The first quarter was a low scoring affair, with the Wolverines taking a 12-6 lead at the end of the period.
The Thunderbirds bounced back from the slow start as their offense came alive in the second quarter. Samantha Johnston and Daylani Ballena came out firing, combining for 11 points to jumpstart a 16-1 run that gave SUU a 22-13 lead with 3:20 left in the half. Southern Utah led by seven (28-21) at the break.
Second Half
Southern Utah played stifling defense in the third quarter, holding Utah Valley to only 18.8 percent shooting from the field. The two squads traded buckets to begin the period, splitting the first 12 points to make the score 34-27 in favor of SUU. Then, Ava Uhrich poured in eight points to spark a 14-4 sprint that gave the Thunderbirds a 48-31 advantage heading into the final frame.
The Thunderbirds stayed aggressive, with Samantha Johnston knocking down back-to-back three pointers for SUU to start the fourth quarter. On the ensuing possession, Johnston found Shiho Isono open for a jumper to give the Thunderbirds their largest lead of the night, 56-34, with 8:59 remaining in the game. Southern Utah never looked back as the T-Birds cruised to the finish line to claim a 71-58 victory over Utah Valley.
NOTABLE PLAYS
UP NEXT
The Thunderbirds will enjoy a week of rest before they travel to Nacogdoches, Texas to take on the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Jan. 13. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MT.
FOLLOW US
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