UTAH UTES

How To Watch Utah Women’s Basketball Vs. South Dakota State In NCAA First-Round

Mar 22, 2024, 8:00 PM

SPOKANE, WA – The No. 5 seeded Utah women’s basketball team is making their third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament starting on Saturday, March 23 against 12 seed South Dakota State.

This is the 20th time in program history the Utes have made the Big Dance, and the opportunity is coming after of one of their most successful seasons in recent memory.

This is a great opportunity for fans to enjoy one of the most impactful student-athletes the Utah women’s basketball program has ever had in Alissa Pili for another game or more.

 

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Here is everything you need to know about Utah’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with the Jackrabbits.

How To Watch Utah Vs. South Dakota State In Round One Of The NCAA Tournament

  • WHEN: Saturday, March 23
  • WHERE: McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Washington
  • TIME: 8:00 pm MT/ 7:00 pm PT
  • CHANNEL: ESPNU
  • STREAM:  Live Stream Here
  • TICKET INFO: Utah Tickets

 

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A Quick Scout Of South Dakota State, Regional Four Of The Portland Bracket

The 22-10 Utes are tasked with trying to take down the 27-5 Jackrabbits in their first-round matchup. Head coach Lynne Roberts thinks it will be easier said than done, noting SDSU has been an absolute force in the Summit League.

“South Dakota State- I have a ton of respect for,” Roberts said. “They are good. They are really good. I was just looking at their schedule and I don’t think they have lost in 20 games or something like that. They are always the Summit League champs and always a really hard out. We’ve got our hands full.”

Roberts doesn’t think the next round of games will be any easier noting it’s a strong group of four in their region.

 

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The assumption going into this weekend is that Utah and Gonzaga, who is hosting the event and plays UC Irvine in their first game, will handle business and face each other in the next round. As we all know however, they don’t call it “March Madness” for nothing and assuming can be a dream killer.

“I think it will be competitive,” Roberts said. “In the West Coast Conference – I’ve played at Gonzaga a lot of times and then my first year here I think it was- was the NIT and we went there and played in the second round of the NIT I think and won? Great environment. They love basketball in Spokane, so I know if we are fortunate enough to win the first game, and play Gonzaga it’ll be packed, but even before that they are women’s basketball junkies up there. That will be a good environment for our players.”

Fans Can Expect To See The Utah Women Put Up A Fight

There is obviously no way to predict exactly what will happen in the NCAA Tournament or just how far the Utah women will go.

What Roberts does feel confident in, is that her team will put up a fight in every game they get to play. They did it all season to get to this point, and they aren’t going to stop anytime soon.

 

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“We’ve been really close, maybe like my third, fourth, fifth year, and we’d hit some bumps and would just kind of limp through to the end,” Roberts said. “This year, these guys dug deep, and I think what happens is, you get that experience, and for some of these guys this is the third year in a row for the NCAA Tournament. They aren’t going to give in. It speaks not only to the talent that we have, obviously, but their fortitude, and competitiveness. Adversity or not, we’re not going to get held back.”

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on XInstagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

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How To Watch Utah Women’s Basketball Vs. South Dakota State In NCAA First-Round