SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Alissa Pili scored 16 of her 26 points in the second half, Kennady McQueen added 17 points and No. 5 seed Utah nearly let a 20-point lead evaporate before pulling away in the second half for a 68-54 win over No. 12 seed South Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Pili was a third-team AP All-America selection and was terrific again, hitting 11 of 20 shots and grabbing seven rebounds.
She banked a 3-pointer with 2:49 left as the shot clock expired that finally put away the Jackrabbits.
Tori Nelson led South Dakota State with 14 points.
