Alissa Pili scored 16 of her 26 points in the second half, Kennady McQueen added 17 points and No. 5 seed Utah nearly let a 20-point lead evaporate before pulling away in the second half for a 68-54 win over No. 12 seed South Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Utah forward Alissa Pili shoots from between South Dakota State guard Madison Mathiowetz and forward Brooklyn Meyer during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the women’s NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, March 23, 2024. South Dakota State forward Tori Nelson drives to the basket while pressured by Utah guard Ines Vieira during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the women’s NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, March 23, 2024.
But it was Utah’s start that set the tone. The Utes outscored South Dakota State 20-3 in the first quarter and led 27-7 early in the second quarter. Utah gave away most of the lead and led just 27-24 at the half, but outscored South Dakota State 26-17 in the third quarter to regain control.Tori Nelson led South Dakota State with 14 points, but the Jackrabbits picked the worst time to have their lowest scoring quarter of the season.
South Dakota State made one surge, holding Utah scoreless over the final 7:18 of the first half and pulled within 27-24 at halftime, scoring the final 17 points of the quarter.
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