LAS VEGAS (ABC4 Sports) - The #22 Utah women's basketball team can take solace in the fact that they will be headed back to the NCAA Tournament. But unlike last season, the Utes will not be hosting the first two rounds after losing to #7 UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night.
Angela Dugalic scored 17 points, Charisma Osborne added 16 points, while Kiki Rice had 13 for the Bruins (25-5) in a 67-57 victory over the Utes.
Alissa Pili led the Utes (22-10) with 16 points, while Kennady McQueen added 14. Ines Vieira had 11 and Matyson Wilke contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.
"What a hard fought game," said Utah head coach Lynne Roberts. "It was incredibly physical. I think it might be the most physical game, I've ever been a part of. I want to congratulate UCLA. We were right there and they would hit big shots. They are disciplined and a total package. I have a lot of respect for them. I am incredibly proud of my team. We played as hard as we physically could. We never quit."
UCLA outscored the Utes in each quarter, and finished the game hitting 25 of 52 (48.1%) from the field including 47.1% (8 of 17) from 3-point range.
Utah shot just 35% in the game, connecting on 21 of 60 shot attempts.
Osborne paced UCLA in the first half with 12 points, helping the Bruins to 44.8% (13 of 29) shooting.
Leading by two after the first quarter, the Bruins shot 50% in the second frame behind 7-of-14 shooting.
Utah was able to keep within striking distance, despite poor shooting in both quarters, hitting just 38.5% (5 of 13) in the first quarter and 35.3% (6 of 17) in the second. The Utes struggled from distance in the first half, hitting just 4 of 14 (28.6%) from 3-point range.
The Utes came into the game ranked 19th in the country with a plus-18 rebounding margin, in part to 27.2 defensive rebounds per game (60th), but the Utes were outrebounded 42-27.
"This whole season we've faced so many injuries," Pili said. "We are used to bouncing back. It's what our team does. That's the type of player our coaches recruit. I'm lucky to be part of it. It's a lot more fun and easier to buy in when you have a team full of players that think the same way."
With this week’s NET rankings placing the Utes at No. 9, they should expect an invitation to the NCAA Tournament when the teams are announced on March 17th.
"The Pac-12 gets us battle tested," McQueen said. "We learned throughout the season what we can do when we play at our best and what happens when we play at our worst. When we play with urgency we're hard to beat. Our run in the NCAA Tournament last year just gave experience. We'll rest up and get back to work. I have full confidence in this group moving forward."