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Show Utes take down Aggies, 63-57 F BY BEN JASAREVIC /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY CHRIS AYERS BY BEN JASAREVIC /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY ERIN BURNS U tah snapped a four-game losing streak by beating in-state rival Utah State on Wednesday night in the Huntsman Center. A strong second half from the Utes saw their three-point halftime deficit turn into a six-point win, 63-57. Utah head coach Anthony Levrets inserted freshman Joseta Fatuesi into the starting lineup as guard Malia Nawahine missed her third straight game with a back injury. "Credit to our players — we are going through as a difficult time physically, as you could possibly imagine': Levrets said. With Fatuesi in the starting lineup, sophomore Paige Crozon moved to one of the wing spots. The frontline for the Utes of star forward Taryn Wicijowski and Fatuesi scored the first eight points for Utah, but the Utes went down 17-8 when Levrets was forced to use his first timeout of the night with 11:28 left in the first half. The Aggies' lead was cut down to two points with just over two minutes left in the half thanks to a Wicijowski jumper. But Utah State hit back-to-back three pointers to push their lead to 30-22 with 20 seconds left in the half. Utah then cut the lead to five following a Cheyenne Wilson three pointer with five seconds left. Following the three pointer from Wilson, point guard Danielle Rodriguez stole the inbounds pass under the basket and laid the ball in as time expired. Thanks to the quick 5-0 run, Utah was down just three points at halftime, 30-27. Unfortunately for the Utes, they had another injury scare in the early stages of the second half as backup point guard Devri Owens went down holding her left knee and needed help from trainers to walk off the court. With Rodriguez in foul trouble and third-string point guard Gabrielle Bowie in street clothes with a previous injury, Levrets opted for walk-on Valerie Nawahine to run the point for a few minutes.The Utes were only up a single point when Nawahine stepped on the court, but by the time she walked off, they were up 39-36. "She got herself an opportunity here, and she's made the most of it," Levrets said. "She's gonna continue to play." However, with Rodriguez back in the contest, the Utes opened up their biggest lead of the game as she hit a three pointer with two defenders in her face to give Utah a 47-40 lead. Utah hung on to win late as they made 5-7 free throws in the last minute to win seal the victory. Wicijowski had a game-high 20 points and 17 rebounds, while freshman Tanaeya Boclair added 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting. "I love playing here," Wicijowski said. "Overthinking was my biggest issue, always thinking that someone's coming behind me or someone's gonna be there, and then no one is there, and then I'm not making the right read, so just trying to play more in the moment, and I think I did that tonight:" Fatuesi ended with six points in her first collegiate start. "She's just gonna keep growing - she's really talented': Levrets said about Fatuesi. "We believe she's an incredibly talented young lady." Next up for the Utes is UNLV on Saturday at 3 p.m. from the Huntsman Center. blasarevic@chronicle.utah.edu @Benlasarevic FIVE UTES MAKE THE ALL-PAC-12 TEAM BY TALON CHAPPELL /STAFF WRITER U tah football broke several school records and set a new benchmark for success in the Pac-12 this season. Earlier this week, the Utes set yet another record, as five players were voted as first team All-Pac-12 selections. Punter Tom Hackett, running back Devontae Booker, defensive end Nate Orchard, receiver/returner Kaelin Clay and kicker Andy Phillips were all selected to the All-Pac-12 first team for their accomplishments on the field this season. Hackett had an incredible season punting the "bacon," as he would call it, with 35 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and 19 punts downed inside the 10 (both lead the nation). He was instrumental in many of the Utes' eight wins this season, including last Saturday's narrow victory over Colorado, when he ran a designed fake punt 20-plus yards for a critical first down, in addition to booting a 70-yard punt in the shadow of his own end zone late in the fourth quarter. Hackett was also named a finalist for the Ray Guy award, which is given to the nation's best punter. Booker had an amazing breakout season in his first year up on the hill.The junior college transfer began the season as the backup tailback behind fellow junior Bubba Poole before taking over as the starter against Michigan. He became the featured weapon in the Utah offense with a Pac-12-leading 266 carries on the year and finished with a 112.5 yards per game rushing average. Orchard, in his final season as a Ute, proved to be one of the nation's most fearsome pass rushers and backfield disrupters. He leads the nation in sacks per game (1.46) and is second in total sacks with 17.5 on the year, which also set a new school record. He is tied for fifth in the country in tackles for loss (20) and tackles for loss per game (1.7). Orchard's premier night on the season was against UCLA, when he sacked quarterback Brett Hundley four times in a 30-28 victory over the then-8th-ranked Bruins. Clay made an immediate impact in his lone year at Utah, returning a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in his very first game at Rice-Eccles Stadium en route to a 5614 win over Idaho State. Clay finished the regular season with four total return touchdowns (three punts, one kickoff) and led the Pac-12 in punt return average with 16.9 yards per return. Clay is also ranked third in the Pac-12 in kickoff return yardage with 25.4 yards per return. Finally, Phillips finished the regular season converting 22 of his 26 field goal attempts, leading the Pac-12, and is tied for fourth in the nation. His 84.6 kicking percentage ranks second in the Pac-12, and his 12 makes from outside of 40 yards is ranked second in the country. Phillips' premier night also came against UCLA, where he connected on field goals from 48, 45 and 29 yards out, including what proved to be the game winner with 34 seconds left in the game. The previous record for All-Pac-12 first team selections at Utah was three back in 2011 when Tony Bergstrom, Derrick Shelby and Star Lotulelei took home the honors. With five players chosen to the first team, Utah matched the single-team high along with Oregon and USC in total first team selections. t.chappell@chronicle.utah.edu @TalonChappell 8 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 } All-Pac-12 First Team Position QB RB RB WR WR TE OL OL OL OL OL DL DL DL DL LB LB LB DB DB DB DB DB PK RS AP/ST Player Marcus Mariota Javorius Allen Devontae Booker Nelson Agholor Jaelen Strong Pharaoh Brown Jamil Douglas Jake Fisher Hroniss Grasu Andrus Peat Max Tuerk Henry Anderson Nate Orchard Danny Shelton Leonard Williams Hau'oli Kikaha Shag Thompson Scooby Wright III Ishmael Adams Su' a Cravens Ifo apre-Olomu Damarious Randall Jordan Richards Andy Phillips Tom Hackett Kaelin Clay Shag Thompson Year Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. School Oregon (3) USC Utah USC Arizona State Oregon Arizona State Oregon Oregon (3) Stanford USC Stanford Utah Washington USC (2) Washington Washington Arizona UCLA USC Oregon (3) Arizona State Stanford Utah Utah (2) Utah Washington our seasons ago, Utah left the Mountain West and entered one of the top conferences in the nation, overmatched and undermanned. "It was a bizarre change," Launiere said. The change to the Pac-12 coincided with a nationally ranked recruiting class that included Chelsey SchofieldOlsen, Shelby Dalton, Bailey Bateman and Lea Adolph. Of the four, Schofield-Olsen came to Utah with the highest expectations, and she delivered immediately. In her first year in the program, Schofield-Olsen started all 31 matches for the Utes and led the team in kills with 310. "For Chelsey, coming in and playing right away in the Pac-12, it's a big deal," said assistant coach Brian Doyon. "Being a six-rotation player, she had to step up in a hurry, and she did a great job." Schofield-Olsen's efforts as a freshman didn't go unnoticed, as she was given a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honorable mention. In her first year, Bateman was stuck behind two very good middle blockers, seniors Danielle Killpack and Erin Redd-Brandon. According to Doyon, playing behind two veterans helped Bateman gain experience despite only playing in nine sets all year. "We only had three middles then, so in practice Bailey was always on the other side of the net ... and going through all of the rotations, while Killpack and Redd-Brandon were subbing in and out," Doyon said. "She paid her dues and worked really hard and became really, really good." Bateman placed fourth in the Pac12 this season in blocks per set with 1.18 and was named an All Pac-12 first team honorable mention. "My freshman year was definitely a test," Bateman said. "There is always room for improvement. Just keep working hard, and it'll pay off." Launiere didn't know much about Dalton when she came to Salt Lake but quickly discovered she was a special talent. Just six games into her freshman year, Dalton had earned a starting spot and, four years later, will end her career as one of the most successful players in program history. Last season Dalton was named an All-American honorable mention, becoming the first Ute in five years to be named an All-American. This year she became Utah's first All Pac-12 Veteran players help freshmen find their footing YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF first team selection. Adolph had her own set of challenges. Other than leaving her family behind in Waltrop, Germany and moving to a different country, she had to overcome some differences on the court. Adolph had to adjust to a libero's life in America, which included serving and different rotations. Despite these obstacles, Adolph has become a key piece to the Ute squad. Along with the four freshmen, Utah also added two transfers to help transition into the Pac-12: Makenzie Moea'i from UNLV and setter Kalee Kirby from Northern Arizona University. Moea'i has become one of the most versatile players on the team, playing both the outside and right hitter positions effectively in 2014. Kirby has led the team in assists in both her years as a Ute. "Moea'i has been a full-time contributor, and Kirby hasn't gotten off the court since she got here," Launiere said. Launiere said adding Moea'i and Kirby made for an "extremely strong class of players:' The strong class has led Utah through its first years in the Pac-12 and into the NCAA Tournament. The Utes went 11-31 in their first two years in the Pac-12, finishing both times near the bottom of the conference. The last two seasons, however, Utah has finished 9-11 in each season to qualify for the postseason. "They figured out how to win in the Pac-12," Launiere said. Now they will try to figure out how to win in the tournament. Utah faces off against Kansas State in the first round on Friday in Lincoln, Neb. at 3:30 p.m. MT. blasarevic@chronicle.utah.edu @Benlasarevic CHRIS ROCK ROSARIO DAWSON i,TOPFIVE \ Mein WIC BE nun [MEDI IR Ji NINA( illEU 1(111111K Mid al MN NEN RHEIN [MINN IVICIONtINOici smANWElltii WHITEN Willi ultlifle MIK Ulu 'SUR =Nix, ..- =sac Nu nalf 11111 UN WORM STOP BY UNION 321 FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN PASSES! One pass per person. Each pass admits two. While supplies last. TOP FIVE has been rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, crude humor, language throughout and some drug use. 100eLLIO0eLE0 ILI0e0L12e0eMedIEL0000101007 L10:1101:d0110100LIL00LeeM00MUJe0LIIILLWeLLOeMelial eOLEULLELOOL0J1101000 eflIELO leMecILUOUELEIOLleOlIfall e0 OeW0L0fLO0eLlie010 ODOM De000 ➢ 0e0110111:10eLOOLILIedL ➢ ILIOMIIMIED000e11:1 011dU 1111100e110LIe0EL6e0EL10 0010e0000DNOIffedeLDIELODe07UdLE00M000:01:110LE00CELLALUeLIODI:e001fLIE0e1:0L00000 e0LIJOULLIMLEM11100161012ed=0:10eL0f=LIeLIII ILIcILD00e0 MCIJOOLIILILIELLO 00160 LIUDedLLI LIC010e= LO Oldie= ULM 0 00011000DeL11:00 LIIIELLI MUM 00:10001:eLlAdLEOeliff 110[1:1006:11➢ 00 11111111 X000010®®®0 1:010000eL1010011EIL10111110100:00011e0LBOULILDedIMIC0000eL1010011E10ellEOLDLIIeLEOL00eLMULIOOLLDel000000edLD CIDLI0feLLedLELL6dee0 edLIOLLIE00LE1= 001110EL70LDID e001ILIELLIILIOULIOOD1b10100100160000LE60110=0:1000101L00eMIELLIeL0 11110eLIELO L101:600111110=14alfedeLMILId0IIILI01270e0=elleLL6000000DOIDElfaleal ILLIeLLIE OeL600 COLE Ead070LLE0 LW MEE L10:110LI E000001:0=eCE10 0CE0ee0000cI0.00 e0 Lle0:1110d ➢eillUe00100M0700IIIIIMI0 ➢ LI 000 O0 HAOOLU 00 00 0 Al ➢ 0 11HO 0 OLLIAL100 N THEATERS DECEMBER 12 www.topfivemovie.com 9 |