The Washington women’s basketball team had No. 11 Utah on the ropes and came agonizing close to capturing its biggest win in years.
However, the Huskies faltered in the final five minutes and fell 61-53 on Sunday afternoon at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Lauren Schwartz scored with 17 points, and Dalayah Daniels finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for UW (9-4, 1-2).
For most of the contest, Washington, which led for 17½ minutes, dictated and controlled the pace of the game.
The Huskies stymied Utah’s prolific offense with a hounding defense that kept Utes leading scorer Alissa Pilli in check while allowing just seven 3-pointers on 22 attempts.
Offensively, a bevy of high screens, pick and rolls and back cuts sliced a Utes defense that chased in vain trying to keep track of Huskies, particularly Schwartz, who darted to the rim for layups.
Washington trailed 27-25 at halftime, which was a minor victory considering Utah entered the game ranked second in the country in scoring while averaging 90.8 points per game.
The Huskies took control in the third quarter and Daniels’ layup gave them a 44-43 lead with 5:34 remaining when the Utes ran off 8 straight points — including a pair of 3-pointers — to go up 51-44.
Washington pulled to within 54-51 following Schwartz’s layup, but on the ensuing possession freshman guard Hannah Stines fouled Isabel Palmer on a three-pointer, and she made three free throws that gave Utah a 57-51 lead.
Gianna Kneepkens finished with 18 points and Pilli had 15 points for the Utes (14-0, 3-0) which kept their record unblemished.
Following its seven-game homestand, Washington is on the road for the next three games beginning with a trip to cross-state rival Washington State on Sunday.
This story will be updated.