Utah women's basketball a No. 8 seed in NCAA Tournament, will play No. 9 Indiana

SALT LAKE CITY — An early exit in the Big 12 Tournament was surprising for the Utah women's basketball team. But it wasn't entirely shocking, either.

The Utes had played great basketball for much of the season — even topping No. 8 Notre Dame, who rose as high as No. 1, in a neutral-site game early in the year — but allowed teams, at times, to dictate the tone and physicality of the game.

As such, the team struggled with consistency from time to time, with most of that inconsistent play coming against the top teams in the Big 12.

"I think we have to learn how to play consistent basketball at a high level with our effort and our focused intensity," head coach Gavin Petersen said after a second-round loss in the Big 12 Tournament. "No matter who you play, whether it's in the Big 12 Tournament, or now in the NCAA Tournament, you're going to get some really good teams that you've got to match or outplay them or outwork them."

That consistency will prove to be key this week when the Utes return to action after a little more than a week off. And the road to a deep tournament run won't come easy ... especially with its draw.

On Sunday, the Utes were tabbed as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, taking on No. 9 Indiana in the first round on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina. It's the fourth consecutive season Utah will be going dancing.

And though Utah will have the advantage in terms of seeding, the team's early exit in the Big 12 Tournament proved that any team — especially lower-seeded teams — can still prove to be a threat. And even if Utah can get past that first game, a difficult matchup against host No. 1 South Carolina likely awaits in the second round.

"We've got a Big Ten team in the Indiana Hoosiers," Petersen said. "They have a similar style of play to us. We both like to get up and down the court and keep the game fast paced. We're ready to showcase Utah basketball with the hustle and letting 3-pointers fly. Our seniors and their experience are going to help elevate us heading into the tournament."

Petersen hopes that the extra time off can serve as a sort of reset for the team as his veteran squad attempts to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

While scoring at a high percentage remains paramount — a key tenet to Utah's makeup over the last few seasons — Petersen said his team needs to find more ways to impact the game when shots aren't falling.

And in March, the teams that find ways to adapt to the various game challenges tend to go the farthest in the tournament.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be front-runners and allow shot making to dictate that," Petersen said in Kansas City. "We've got to be able to, if shots aren't falling, to find different ways to contribute and add to the team and pull out a victory."

Utah ranks inside the top 15 in 3-point shooting (37.1%), while shooting, on average, 10 attempts per game. The team also ranks inside the top 20 in field goal percentage (46.5%), while averaging 18.5 assists per game, which is tied for eighth in the country.

A thorn in Utah's side, though, has been its 16.2 turnovers per game and a key factor in keeping the team out of rhythm.

But Utah's veteran roster has the talent to make a deep run, especially with Gianna Kneepkens and Kennady McQueen — the only two players to finish the regular season inside an elite efficiency club — leading the charge.

It's a starting roster that experienced a Sweet 16 appearance two seasons ago before narrowly falling to eventual national champion LSU.

Related topics