OUTLOOK
First round: Lost to Illinois, 73-58
In its first season after leaving the Western Athletic Conference, Utah stormed through the Mountain West, winning the regular-season title. The Utes seem to be peaking, closing the regular season with a season-high 92-42 victory over Air Force. Entering the postseason, Utah ranked first in the MWC and second nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 52.1 points. Sophomore center Lauren Beckman leads the team in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (6.8), and along with fellow All-MWC second-team selections Kristina Andersen and Amy Ewert, both juniors, are the Utes' best hopes for a successful stay in the Big Dance. Key stat: Coach Elaine Elliot, who has won conference Coach of the Year honors for four straight seasons (this season in the MWC, and in the WAC for the previous three seasons), is 1-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Also, the Utes have advanced to the second round only once (in 1997) in their previous nine trips to the tourney.
| PROBABLE STARTERS |
F - Kristina Andersen (6-1, Jr., 9.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
F - Amy Ewert (6-0, Jr., 8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
C - Lauren Beckman (6-2, So., 10.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
G - Tiana Fuertes (5-3, Sr., 5.03 apg, 1.47 spg)
F - Lori Red (5-1, Jr., 7.0 ppg, 38.6 3pt pct)
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| NOTABLE |
NCAA Tournament titles: None
Final Four appearances: None
Best finish: 1997, advances to second round
NCAA Tournament appearances: 7
NCAA Tournament record: 7-6
Last NCAA appearance: 1998, lost to Louisville, 69-61, first round
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RANKINGS
Final Ratings Percentage Index ranking: No. 44.
NO. PLAYER POS HT CLASS
5 Sarah Wobbe G 5-9 FR
13 Katherine McColl F 6-0 SO
14 Erin Gibbons G 5-9 SO
15 Lindsay Sodja F 6-1 JR
20 Whitney Sutak G 6-0 FR
21 Kristina Anderson F 6-1 JR
22 Tiana Fuertes G 5-3 SR
24 Amy Ewert F-G 6-0 JR
25 Lindsay Herbert G-F 5-11 SO
30 Janna Whitman G 5-10 SR
32 Lori Red F 5-11 JR
40 Erin Hansen F 6-3 SO
42 Caroline Matthews F-C 6-2 FR
45 Carley Marshall F-C 6-2 FR
52 Lauren Beckman F-C 6-2 SO
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