NFL
By: Nick Andre
The NCAA Tournament has featured just as exciting this year as the men’s. There have been many upsets that include top-notch performances from star players. The Utah Utes, they’re on the hunt for a National Championship just like the other 16 teams remaining. If they want to continue to move ahead, they have to continue to rely on the leadership of Alissa Pili.
For those who may have not been paying attention, Pili has been one of the most exciting players to come out of the PAC-12. She ended an amazing regular season by leading the conference in points and field goal percentage, ultimately winning the PAC-12 Player of The Year. Pili may lack height against other forwards but makes up for it with size and skillset. Pili can be a matchup nightmare in the post as she displays tremendous footwork and agility. Plus, she is terrific at putting the ball on the floor and creating plays for herself and her teammates. During the NCAA Tournament, Pili has continued to have her leadership on full display as the Utes survived through the first two rounds.
Pili was able to display an impressive opening round with 33 points to go with eight rebounds and eight assists. The Utes did a great job of running their high-low action and finding easy opportunities under the basket. For Pili, she wasn’t in unfamiliar territory. It was a beauty to watch her set the tone in the opening round and establish herself early at the basket. She finished the contest shooting 12/17 from the floor and 9/11 from the free throw line.
In the second round, the Utes faced Princeton, a team fresh off of upsetting ACC contender NC State in the first round. As for Pili and Utah, it was their duty to remind the world why they were a dangerous team in the PAC-12. With that being said, the team displayed a strong first half on both ends led by Pili. Once again, Pili did a terrific job of setting the tone on offense. While she continued to look for quality shots at the basket, she also provided spacing for Utah while hitting perimeter shots and being a playmaker at the top. In the end, it was Utah who weathered the storm by having an edge at the free throw line. Led by 28 points from Pili, the Utes are going to the Sweet 16.
As the next round is underway, Utah finds themselves in another tough matchup against LSU, one of the powerhouses in the SEC. If the team wants another chance at keeping their season alive, they must look to have an efficient night shooting while having an edge on the glass. However, preventing Angel Reese from establishing herself under the basket is easier said than done. Alissa Pili must continue to shine in Utah’s championship run. Through the first few rounds, she’s averaged 30.5 points along with nine rebounds on 66 percent shooting. As she has continued to shine for her team, Pili must keep her foot on the gas in their next matchup.
