WBB: Utah can't be stopped in victory over Cal
With six minutes left in the game, the Utes found themselves down by one against Cal, a team playing at home and in search of its first Pac-12 win.
Enter Byrnna Maxwell.
Maxwell made a layup to give the Utes back the lead at 60-59 and the team never relinquished it, finishing the game on a 13-2 run to defeat the Golden Bears 71-62. The win was Utah's third in a row in Pac-12 play, taking the Utes (10-8, 3-4 Pac-12) from 12th place to 7th in the conference standings.
"I thought offensively it wasn't as easy today," Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said. "Brynna obviously had a spectacular game and was feeling it, so we kept going to her and she kept answering. In the last five minutes, we shut them down defensively and we got stops when we needed it. ... And that is progress."
The freshman Maxwell was sensational against Cal, finishing with a career-high 26 points, answering the call every single time she was needed. She went 10-of-14 from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, adding in six rebounds and two assists for good measure.
The game was a back and forth affair — with Utah leading by three at the end of the first quarter, Cal (8-10, 0-7 Pac-12) by one at the half and the Utes by two following the third quarter.
Dru Gylten was the only other Ute to score in double figures, adding 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting. However, the team showed off its depth with 10 players scoring in the game.
Utah's victory was even more impressive considering how the team struggled shooting from beyond the arc. Typically dangerous from three-point territory, the Utes finished 4-of-16 from deep — but made up for it by shooting 22-of-46 (47.8%) from within the arc.
Utah looks for its fourth consecutive victory when it faces No. 6 Stanford (17-2, 6-1 Pac-12) on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. from Maples Pavilion and will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Network