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Marie Warner helped lead Utah to an 80-69 win over Northwestern Wednesday.
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Dec. 20, 2006
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah's Marie Warner entered Wednesday afternoon's game for the first time with 8:21 remaining in the contest. The Utes and Northwestern University were tied 53-53 when she stepped on the floor. Warner provided instant production and led the Utes to an 80-69 victory over the Wildcats.
Warner tallied 16 points, pulled down three rebounds, grabbed two steals and blocked a shot over the final 8:21. Her production began 17 seconds after entering the game, when she hit a jumper to put Utah on top 55-53. Utah was clinging to a one-point lead, 60-59, with a little more than three minutes remaining. That's when Warner really took over.
The junior from Hamilton, Ontario hit a jumper and a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions, pushing Utah's lead to five, 64-59, with 3:05 remaining. She pulled down a rebound on Northwestern's next possession, which led to a pair of Morgan Warburton (Soph., Helper, Utah) free throws. Warner then picked the pocket of the Wildcats' Sara Stutz and went the length of the floor for an easy layup, capping an 8-0 run for the Utes. Warner scored six points in the spurt, which gave Utah a 68-59 lead with two minutes remaining.
Warner also converted six-of-eight free throws over the final 41 seconds to put the victory on ice. In addition to Warner's effort, Warburton led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, including 9-of-9 at the free-throw line. Kalee Whipple (Fr., Hiko, Nev.) also reached double figures for the Utes, tacking on 13 points, including 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range. Halie Sawyer (Fr., Panguitch, Utah) came off the bench and grabbed a game-high and career-high nine rebounds.
A.J. Glasauer and Melissa Miller each scored 16 points to pace Northwestern. Stutz added 13 for the Wildcats.
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Northwestern outscored Utah 11-6 over the remainder of the first half to pull within three, 35-32, at halftime. The lead changed hands four times in the first 12 minutes of the second half, leading to Warner's late heroics.
The 80 points scored by Utah was its best offensive output of the season. The Utes enjoyed a 28-16 advantage in the paint. The Utah bench, led by Warner, outscored the Wildcat bench 24-17. The Utes had a 17-5 edge in second-chance points, thanks to 15 offensive rebounds. Utah controlled the glass, 42-32.
The Utes are off until Dec. 30 for the Christmas holiday. Utah wraps up non-conference play Dec. 30 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
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