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Show 6 Thursday December 6, 2012 SPORTS TODAY'S SKI REPORT 24° / 9 a.m. 29° / 3 p.m. Alta www.dailyutahchronicle.corn Conditions and weather from utahskiweathercom Colder temps and lighter snow on top of yesterday's wet snow. Brighton UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS 24° / 9 a.m. 29° I 3 p.m. Canyons 29° / 9 a.m. 35° / 3 p.m. Park City 29° / 9 a.m. 35 ,, / 3 p.m. Snowbird 24° / 9 a.m. 29° / 3 p.m. Solitude 25° / 9 a.m. 30° / 3 p.m. BASKETBALL FRIDAY: Women's Gymnastics Utah vs. Red Rocks Preview 7 p.m. Huntsman Center SATURDAY: Men's Basketball Utah @ BYU 7 p.m. Provo Women's Basketball Utah vs. BYU 3 p.m. Huntsman Center AP TOP 25 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 TEAM RECORD Stanford (22) 8-0 Connecticut (17) 6-0 Baylor (1) 6-1 Duke 6-0 Notre Dame 5-0 Georgia 9-0 Kentucky 6-1 Louisville 8-1 Maryland 4-1 Penn St. 6-1 California 6-1 Texas 5-0 Oklahoma 7-1 Tennessee 6-1 Purdue 7-1 Oklahoma St. 6-0 4-1 UCLA Kansas 7-0 Dayton 9-0 Ohio St. 5-2 North Carolina 7-1 Iowa St. 5-0 Miami 5-1 Florida St. 7-0 Nebraska 6-2 Amid; CHAD ZAVALA/The Daily Utah Chronicle The Runnin' Utes paid homage to former coach Rick Majerus on Wednesday night before their game against Boise State by retiring the white sweater he was famous for. The Utes defeated the Broncos 76-55. Runnin' Utes upset Boise St. Ryan McDonald ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The spirit of the Rick Majerus legacy was certainly in the Huntsman Center Wednesday night. From the tribute video displayed on the big screen to the moment of silence observed prior to the game, it became clear that the evening would be all about the legendary coach who passed away last Saturday, no matter what the scoreboard said when it was over. Then the players hit the floor and the Utah team that showed up reminded fans of the 199os Runnin' Utes squads that achieved national prominence under Majerus' watch. With tough defense and precise execution against a Boise State team that certainly had momentum corning into the contest, Utah seized control early and never looked back in claiming a 76-55 victory, unquestionably its most impressive this season. "There's no doubt that Coach [Majerus] is in the building," said Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak in a press release. "Our guys just played really inspired. They just played as hard as they possibly could on all the possessions ... It was a neat night for all of us. It's been an emotional week in a lot of ways. I couldn't be more proud of the kids." From the opening tip, the Utes were the aggressors against a team that had previously beaten one ranked opponent and nearly beaten another. With Utah up 7-6 early, wing Cedric Martin was fouled behind the 3-point line and the floodgates broke wide open. Over the next three and a half minutes, the Utes dominated in every phase of the game. They were perfect from the field, pulled down six rebounds and connected GYMNASTICS Dabritz's attitude, self-confidence show 'a champion in the making' Matt Ellis STAFF WRITER With a roster featuring no seniors, the Utah gymnastics team will be looking for some gymnasts to step to the forefront and take on a larger role in competition. After a 2012 campaign that proved her national relevance as a freshman, Georgia Dabritz may be ready to take on a greater role in her sophomore season at the U. In a stellar freshman class for the Utes last year, Dabritz distinguished herself when she earned the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award along with first-team AllAmerica honors. The accomplishments didn't really hit home for her in the beginning, but now she thinks they helped her overcome some personal confidence issues. "I didn't really know what it fully meant at the time," she said. "Now that I realize [what it means] I'm like, 'Oh, I am pretty good at this.' I think a lot of selfdoubt came before that and it didn't register for me." Some of that self-doubt may have stemmed from her upbringing, as she was unable to really set herself apart from those around her. When she started gymnastics at age 3, Dabritz's whole family was involved. Her parents opened a gymnastics club and her older brother and sister were both involved in the sport. "It was kind of in my blood," she said. As the youngest sibling, she was constantly trying to play catch-up with her brother and sister. "I was just running around trying to do what they were doing but wasn't really capable," Dabritz said. "[So] I'd go teach myself." Her ability in the gym didn't set her apart even in high school. Her graduating class at Newburyport High School in Newburyport, Mass., only had around 150 students, but Dabritz said none of them knew she was an athlete. All of that changed when she got to Utah. It didn't take long before her face was recognized around campus and she began to realize how special her talent really is. "Last year ... I was standing outside one of my classes, waiting for a teammate," she said. "Some guy came up to me and was like, 'Oh my god, my daughter loves you,' and he was shaking my hand. I [thought] that was pretty cool. It's funny to see our posters around campus and have people notice us. It's totally different from what I'm used to." In the Red Rocks' preview last year, Dabritz said she was "really nervous" about performing in front of so many people, even though it wasn't an actual meet. For her, it was a different environment and took some getting used to, but said she is beginning to enjoy it. Co-head coach Megan Marsden thinks Dabritz has the right attitude to handle the pressure and is excited about her future with the team. See DABRITZ Page 7 on four assists. Boise State, on the other hand, shot just I-of-7, hauled in zero rebounds and converted zero assists, thanks to impressive defense from Utah. The result was a 15-0 run which put the Utes up 22-6. "Before the game we talked about [Majerus], and I think that just kind of sparked all of us," said point guard Glen Dean, who finished with a team-high nine rebounds to go along with eight points and six assists. "You could just feel some type of energy just See RUNNIN' UTES Page 7 Utes have a low season, dispirited fans mourn JAKE BULLINGER Sports Editor I am freaking out. This time of the year is normally one of the best for our sports staff. Basketball season has begun and there is anticipation buzzing about how well the Utes will play this season. The Utes are usually getting ready for a bowl game, which means I'd be prepping for a December trip to Vegas, San Antonio or San Diego. And winter has started, so I can go skiing on the weekends while watching the snow pile up on campus. That's what normally occurs, but this season, none of that is happening. Utah basketball will be better than last year, but "better" doesn't equal "good" when you're on the Utah scale. The Utes have matched their win total from last season, but the opponents have been awful thus far. Utah didn't scrape the bottom for nonconference opponents — they stripmined to get the most unflattering opponents possible, and, of course, Utah still loses to some of them. It's as though the basketball program is perfectly content with CHRISTOPHER REEVES/The Daily Utah Chronicle File Photo See BULLINGER Page 7 |
