Washington State shocks Utah in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals
The Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament has been competitive from top to bottom and from start to finish, but it hasn’t been an event in which top seeds have all escaped.
USC lost as a higher seed on Wednesday in the first round. On Thursday in the quarterfinals, a much bigger Pac-12 powerhouse was taken down.
Second-seeded Utah, the co-champion of the conference along with top-seeded Stanford, was knocked out of Las Vegas by seventh-seeded Washington State. The Cougars put an end to any lingering bubble talk by smothering the Utes, 66-58.
This was a defensive clinic by Washington State. USC and Lindsay Gottlieb probably admired the performance, because it’s something USC has delivered many times this season.
Wazzu swarmed the likely Pac-12 Player of the Year, former Trojan Alissa Pili, in this upset win. The Cougars limited Pili to 3-of-14 shooting for just 11 points. Utah’s starting five went 11 of 40 from the field, under 30 percent. Utah starters finished 4 of 19 from 3-point range, barely more than 20 percent.
There will be no third meeting between co-champions Stanford and Utah in Sunday’s Pac-12 Tournament final. This result very likely will prevent Utah from getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford — which plays UCLA in Friday’s semifinals — will probably get a No. 1 seed if it can win the Pac-12 Tournament … and it won’t have to go through Utah.
