SALT LAKE CITY — The USC women’s basketball team put forth a strong second-half effort but had been hamstrung by Utah’s fierce first-half offensive effort, as the Trojans took an 83-73 loss to the No. 9 Utes tonight in Salt Lake City. USC got within six late in the game before Utah found one last key 3-pointer to keep the Trojans at bay. USC goes to 15-5 overall and to 5-4 in Pac-12 play with the road loss, while No. 9 Utah improves to 17-2, 7-2.
In stride for the early goings, the teams took different paths as the first half unfurled. The Utes were hot, shooting 63.6 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes to lead it 49-33 at halftime as USC shot 40 percent. The teams were even on the boards 16-16, but Utah had landed five 3-pointers to three by the Trojans and had amassed 32 points in the paint by the break. USC would trail by as much as 20 in the third quarter before carving down the deficit to six in the fourth, outscoring the Utes 40-34 in the second half although it wasn’t enough to make up the ground lost early on.
USC finished the game with its fourth-best shooting effort on the season at 47.4 percent overall and made eight 3-pointers to match Utah’s output of threes. Utah, however, wrapped up a 53.4 percent shooting and benefited from 42 points in the paint, also edging out USC on the boards 32-31.
The Trojans had Rayah Marshall finish with a double-double for the 10th time this season, as the sophomore had 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with two more blocks. Kadi Sissoko also added 15 and had a career-high five steal for USC, with Okako Adika tallying 12 points on four 3-pointers made, while Destiny Littleton and Clarice Akunwafo scored 11 points each. Utah was paced by Alissa Pili’s 21 points along with 17 from Kennady McQueen and 16 from Gianna Kneepens. McQueen made five of the Utes’ eight 3-pointers on the night.
It was a back-and-forth battle out of the gates as the lead traded hands and the score snarled up a couple teams in the first five minutes. Okako Adika buried USC’s first three to lock it up at 12-12, although Utah would knock down its third 3-pointer of the quarter to nudge ahead 17-12 less than a minute later. Clarice Akunwafo struck from the paint for the Trojans next, only to see the Utes end the quarter on a 6-0 run to lead it 23-14 after 10 minutes of action. Utah would flex some power in the paint to go along with a couple more back-breaking 3-pointers to keep…
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