This is new: Writing a game after watching it on tape, even though I was there.
A Telegraph Ave. burrito started to betray me around halftime of Utah at Cal, and by the fourth I thought it might come blasting out from both ends. At the buzzer, I skipped post-game interviews and staggered toward my car.
That’s how Coach Roberts found me, wobbling down a stairwell. She said something about coming back out to talk, and I thought: If I try shouting after Coach, I could explode. And I’m not shape to run, while sitting and waiting could get really embarrassing. So I kept moving for the car, leaving Coach to wonder where the hell I went. (In bed for two days, and wham, suddenly it’s Thursday. I’d better get this posted before Oregon arrives at Cal’s gym Friday .)
She was surely going to share the news that she was meeting the mayor of Salt Lake City the following day. The mayor should’ve given the Utes the key to the city.
I said pregame that while Cal has three guards capable of heating a place up, senior Kemery Martin, a Utah transfer, would most want the ball Sunday. Nine seconds into the first quarter, Martin received the ball in the left corner, took it baseline, and made a reverse layup for the game’s first field goal.
I thought: “Who’s a geniu… Uh oh.”
But that was almost all for her on the day, shooting 2-for-her-last-9. I didn’t think she scored late — though I didn’t see anyone do anything late — and it caused me to look at Cal’s boxscores since conference play began.
In fourth quarters, Kemery Martin is shooting 2-for-19. As always, you can make a statistic say anything you like. One might think Kemery isn’t clutch. I prefer to think the opponents are sending their best perimeter defender after 15, not 30.
The Cal player who impressed me Sunday was Langarita. The sophomore forward scored four points on 2-for-7 shooting, but for those two, she found a seam near the basket while Utah help was somewhere else, though the Utes worked on that specifically during practice Saturday.
I hoped the Golden Bears would be as tough against Utah as they were against Colorado and UCLA, but Utah’s superpower is the ability to get everybody involved — six different Utes hit a three in the first half, and Kennady McQueen (I didn’t expect to see her at all; she was wearing a boot Saturday).
I think opponents find it disorienting. The common tactic is to throw different defensive looks at opponents. Utah wields a variety of offensive threats.
Gianna Kneepkens recorded her first double with 20 andf 10. She’s markedly improved since last season, when she was conference freshman of the year. Shooting percentages are significantly better, while the rebound and ball control numbers are also better.
She’s benefitting greatly from Pili’s presence inside, while Vieira, Johnson, and McQueen are among the best threesomes in the Pac for sharing the ball while not giving it away. Stanford, Oregon, and Arizona are also well-stocked in that respect, though Vieira is the individual leader.
It was a good day to be a Ute. Johnson 10, 5, and 5. Pili’s two assists doubled her total for the calendar year. Lani White and Dasia Young had their best shooting games of the season.
Heading into the weekend, freshman Sidberry was leading the team in a number of ways per minute. Things happen in bunches when she’s on the floor. They’re not guaranteed favorable — two fouls and one turnover in 1:04 at Stanford — but in bunches. This is worth keeping an eye on.
| Utah jersey no. | Player | Hollinger ‘gamescore’ |
| 05 | Kneepkens,Gianna | 19.3 |
| 35 | Pili,Alissa | 17.5 |
| 22 | Johnson,Jenna | 11.1 |
| 34 | Young,Dasia | 5.1 |
| 01 | Palmer,Isabel | -1.8 |
| 03 | White,Lani | 7.5 |
| 53 | Rees,Kelsey | 3.8 |
| 42 | McFarland,Peyton | 0.5 |
| 02 | Vieira,Ines | -0.9 |
| 24 | McQueen,Kennady | 0 |
| 32 | Sidberry,Teya | 0.6 |
| Cal jersey no. | Player | Hollinger ‘gamescore’ |
| 30 | Curry,Jayda | 10.7 |
| 01 | McIntosh,Leilani | 6.1 |
| 15 | Martín,Kemery | 2.3 |
| 24 | Lutje Schipholt,Evelien | 4 |
| 33 | Tuitele,Peanut | 1.8 |
| 21 | Mastrov,Mia | 2.5 |
| 05 | Langarita,Claudia | -1.3 |
| 04 | Ortiz,Karisma | 1.9 |
| 02 | Bonner,Amaya | 0.2 |
| 00 | Onyiah,Michelle | -3.2 |
| 31 | Muca,Ornela | -0.7 |