CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team dropped their third and final game against Utah Tech in a challenging 83-66 road loss on Feb. 28. The 19-9 Thunderbirds fall to an 11-5 Western Athletic Conference record, while the Trailblazers rise to 9-18 overall and 4-13 in the WAC.
Top T-Birds
- Sophomore Sierra Chambers racked up three assists and a team-high 16 points.
- Earning her tenth double-double of the season, junior Brooklyn Fely brought down 11 rebounds and totalled 11 points. She also chipped in four assists.
- Senior Ashley Banks served as a huge spark off the bench, compiling 11 points and two blocks on the afternoon.
Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:
"Rivalry games are always a challenge. We struggled on defense and couldn't stay out of foul trouble today, which really hurt us down the stretch. Obviously not the result we were looking for, but we're going to put this behind us and turn our attention to next Thursday."
Game Recap
First Half
Southern Utah took charge of the game early, with freshman Devyn Kiernan draining a pair of triples to highlight the spree. However, Utah Tech snatched the momentum, finding a 9-2 run and the lead in a 17-12 first quarter.
With juniors Brooklyn Fely and Ava Uhrich in foul trouble, the Thunderbirds leaned on senior Ashley Banks to start the second quarter. She landed a pair of baskets before junior Morgan Trigueiro pitched in a three-pointer and a pull-up jumper to cut it to two. The Trailblazers regained their groove and jumped ahead to a 15-point lead, but free throws from Banks and sophomore Sierra Chambers made it 44-32 at the half.
Second Half
Two layups from Uhrich shortened the deficit to single digits to start the second half, but a fourth personal foul took her off the floor once again. The Trailblazers opened another impressive run as they burst to a 65-47 advantage at the end of the third.
After a Utah Tech score opened the fourth, the Thunderbirds had their work cut out for them down 20 points. Fely opened up a strong run with a layup and a pair of threes to bring her team back in range. Yet, as the clock ticked under four minutes, the Utah Tech lead was simply insurmountable. Coach Mason allowed her bench to gain valuable minutes as the 83-66 loss wrapped up.
Highlights
Up Next
Southern Utah will face off against their other in-state WAC rival in a 6:00 p.m. matchup against Utah Valley on Thursday, Feb. 28 in Orem, Utah. The game can be viewed live on ESPN+.
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