Hosting undefeated Saint Joseph’s at home Wednesday night, the Southern Utah women’s basketball team fell 82-53, dropping to 0-5 this season.
The visiting Hawks were hot out of the gate, taking a 12-0 lead in the first 3:25.
It was all Saint Joseph’s for the entirety of the game, as they took a 27-14 lead after the opening quarter.
SUU got within nine in the second period (32-23), but a 9-0 answer by the Hawks put the game further out of reach by increasing the lead to 18 (41-23). By the end of the half, Saint Joseph’s lead was up to 22 (51-29).
SJU started the second half on a 10-0 run, pushing its advantage to over 30 for the first time in the game (61-29). An 8-0 spurt from the T-birds cut the deficit to 24 (61-37) to end the third quarter.
The Hawks finished the game by outscoring SUU 21-16 in the final frame, wrapping up an 82-53 win as the Thunderbirds remain winless on the season.
Daylani Ballena led Southern Utah in scoring, tallying 12 points.
The T-birds struggled mightily in all facets of the game. They shot a mere 38.7 percent from the field (24-of-62) while making just one three-pointer (7.1 percent). SUU was also outrebounded (36-29) and lost the battles in assists (23-11), turnovers (13-10), and fastbreak points (14-2).
Coach Mason postgame
Up next
The T-birds (0-5) will look for their first win of the season when they face Bethesda University (CA), a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.
SUU and the Lion Angels will battle on Friday, Nov. 22, with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m. MT. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics.