Utah
What is fueling No. 20 Utah heading into matchup with No. 5 UCLA
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25241034/01192024_UU_WBB_Vs_USC_Er_Edits_91.jpg "What is fueling No. 20 Utah heading into matchup with No. 5 UCLA")
Two weeks ago, Utah women’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts and star forward Alissa Pili, along with Jenna Johnson, showed the frustration in their faces after a difficult week marked by close losses to Arizona and Stanford.
That had dropped the No. 20 Utes to 1-3 in Pac-12 play, even though Utah had been close, or led, in the fourth quarter of every loss.
Last Friday, though, the frustration was replaced by smiles for Roberts and Pili after Utah knocked off No. 6 USC by 20 points.
Roberts made a promise after that Stanford loss, vowing the disappointment would “motivate us.” Pili made a similar statement, saying the Utes would “keep swinging” and eventually they’d “come out on top.”
After thoroughly handling the Trojans, the pair discussed the team’s emotional state after their second straight blowout win that has Utah back on an upward trend.
“I think we were tired of that, like we had lost a lot of close games to ranked teams and I think we were sick of coming up short. We talked about before Cal and even tonight, like let’s not let it to where things that are out of our control matter in the outcome, let’s control we can control,” Roberts said.
“I’m proud of our team for fighting back and not pouting or not feeling sorry for ourselves or whatever, with the adversity. They’ve just battled back and I think we’ve played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. I’ve coached with a little chip on my shoulder. That’s the way it is. I think that’s the difference. We’re playing with a little more swagger.”
“They’ve just battled back and I think we’ve played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. I’ve coached with a little chip on my shoulder. That’s the way it is. I think that’s the difference. We’re playing with a little more swagger.” — Utah coach Lynne Roberts
The Utes followed up a 37-point win over California with that 78-58 victory over the Trojans.
Utah (13-5, 3-3 Pac-12) held USC to 36.1% shooting in a game where the Utes led nearly from start to finish.
The All-American Pili tied her career high with 37 points, shooting an efficient 13 of 16 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range, while also adding six rebounds, an assist and a steal.
“Like coach said, we’re obviously frustrated with how the last few games were going against Stanford and Arizona. I think our attitude is just different and it kind of pushed us to just want to play harder and want to, I guess just really buy into our team and focus on what we could do to win,” Pili said.
“And like coach said, we don’t want to leave it in the refs’ hands, so why not blow out teams by 40 and 20 like we did the last two games.”
Utah also got back senior guard Issy Palmer, who was out for two months with an undisclosed injury.
Palmer played nine minutes in her return and had four points, two assists and a rebound to go with two turnovers.
“She was on a minutes restriction, so we had to be careful of how much she could play. But I thought she did a nice job,” Roberts said. “You know, you could tell she was a little rusty which is to be expected. She hasn’t played in 10 weeks. That’s a long time. But I’m proud of her for pushing through what she’s been through.”
Up next for Utah is No. 5 UCLA, which is fresh off a road win at No. 3 Colorado.
The Bruins (15-1, 4-1 Pac-12) are arguably as formidable as any opponent the Utes have faced this season — that list includes teams like No. 1 South Carolina, No. 3 Colorado, No. 8 Stanford and No. 12 Baylor.
Utah lost to all four of those schools. The Utes’ lone win over a top 25 team came Friday against the Trojans.
A victory over UCLA would get Utah, the defending Pac-12 regular season co-champions and the preseason favorite to win the league, right back in the thick of the conference race.
The Bruins are led by 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, who averages 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds.
Four others average double-digit points, including senior guard Charisma Osborne, who averages 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting a team-best 39.1% from 3-point range.
It will be a rare late afternoon tip on Monday at the Huntsman Center, with Utah and UCLA meeting at 5 p.m. MST in a game televised on ESPN2.
“I think we’re playing a lot better. We’re playing a little more cohesive. There’s a lot more, I can sense, just kind of synergy out there. I think people have settled into their roles,” Roberts said.
“I do feel like we’re hitting our stride. But you know, this league is merciless and we’re gonna enjoy this tonight and feel good about it. And then tomorrow, we wake up to play the No. 3 team in the country on Monday, and we’ll be ready.”
It’s on nights like these that I’m reminded of the ravine that divides the NBA from all other levels of basketball. This Summer League tilt was sloppy on both sides, and not many fringe players earned an NBA contract tonight, by the looks of it.
This matchup has always been about the number-one pick AJ Dybantsa and the number-two pick Darryn Peterson. Rivals since high school, these two are in an eternal struggle for the designation of being “number-one”. They wanted to be the best in their high school class. They wanted to be the first off the board in the NBA Draft. Rest assured, these two will be battling for Rookie of the Year honors by the season’s end.
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Both stars were fully aware of the magnitude of this game, and both wanted to be the first to strike in the Thomas and Mack Center.
Dybantsa took his first touch all the way to the basket and forced up an off-kilter shot that missed everything.
Peterson took the ball the other way and forced up a top-of-the-key three-pointer that missed badly.
Dybantsa quickly picked up the slack, flipping an under-and-around lay-in and following that up with a good leading bounce pass through traffic to find a cutting teammate.
From there, the 1-2 combo settled in and let the game flow around them.
For the first time in a Utah Jazz uniform, Darryn Peterson walked among mortal men as a commoner. He had a very slow start in his Las Vegas debut, opening the night 0-for-3 from the floor and even whiffing on his first all-or-nothing foul shot. His steps were hurried, and he stood unstable before his first trip to the bench. Not quite so infallible outside of the mountain air in Salt Lake City.
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AJ claimed the first quarter, dicing up the defense with fadeaways, dribble chains, and this vicious, inhumane slam that will dominate your social media feed for the next day or so.
Washington set the tone for some — should we say physical — defense out on the perimeter, and the officials gave the Wizards liberty to reside in Peterson’s chest for the majority of the game. The number-two pick couldn’t get himself into a rhythm as he’d step out of bounds, dribble off his foot, and sputter under the heat of the Wizards’ aggressive double-team scheme.
They were incredibly handsy from end to end, frustrating Jazz ball handlers as the whistles piled up at the other end.
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AJ Dybantsa lives at the foul stripe — that’s his superpower — and he has since his days at BYU, where he led the nation in foul shots taken per game. Perfectly within his idiom, Dybantsa was 6-of-7 from the foul stripe — keeping in mind the experimental do-or-die free throw rule. Considering how much more physical the Wizards played at the defensive end, it’s a mystery how the Wizards managed to reside in the comfort of the bonus for the entire first half.
Neither player was efficient from the floor, but Dybantsa won the first half of this marquee matchup.
Dybantsa finished the first half with 19 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Peterson lagged behind with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and a pair of dimes.
The lead shrank to single digits, and what appeared to be a blowout in the first half — Washington led by as much as 20 — rapidly drew tighter in the second half. It had become a two-possession game before the clock hit 0:00 in the third quarter.
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Both stars lived up to the bill in this one, clearly displaying their individual talents despite their efficiency not leaping off the box score.
Peterson’s tendency to cough up possession has to get straightened out. He’ll be a target for his whole career, so learning to handle and exploit on-ball pressure will be critical to maximize his effectiveness and keep his teammates involved.
Cody Williams stole the show a bit for the Jazz, despite a rocky opening to the night. Though he struggled to stop Dybantsa on the defensive end, he notched 16 points on great efficiency (6-11, 2-3 3PT) plus 5 rebounds. He’s not a ball-handler, despite the Jazz’s wishes, but thrived on a newly added stepback mid-range jumper tonight.
Dybantsa had a strong night, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
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The Wizards ultimately won this game behind the strength of their NBA guys, Tre Johnson and Will Reily, who combined for 41 to pair with Dybantsa’s 27. They also strongly benefited from Jamir Watkins, Darryn Peterson’s assignment fouling a grand total of 9 times (not a typo).
Peterson likewise fouled 9 times in this one, an ugly blemish on what was an unsteady night for the rookie. He finished with 24 points on 6-18 shooting and 2-7 from three-point land (thanks to a bank-shot heave at the final horn). Dybantsa will be crowned the winner of this head-to-head with Peterson thanks to better highlights and the team win, but neither player dominated, despite what X will likely tell you.
Washington defeats Utah with a final score of 92-88.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The man arrested for murder in the 2006 death of his wife at a Utah national park left behind a suicide note in his Las Vegas jail cell, according to a police report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police released a public report on the death of David Vander Meer, 49, who was in custody on an out-of-state warrant.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in an affidavit that Vander Meer, a former youth pastor, was a suspect in the death of his then-wife, 28-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer, 20 years ago.
Bernadette fell to her death at Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Prosecutors said in their affidavit that they received new information implicating David, alleing that he began having a close relationship with a young girl when she was 14 and he was her youth pastor.
A fugitive task force took Vander Meer into custody in Summerlin, according to an arrest report, and he was booked into Clark County Detention Center on June 22.
In the report on his death, LVMPD said a corrections officer was conducting visual checks at about 9:30 p.m. June 24 when he noticed Vander Meer lying face down on the ground and unresponsive.
Several sections are redacted, but police wrote that the officer performed chest compressions until medical personnel arrived. Vander Meer was taken to UMC, where he was pronounced dead just after 2:36 a.m. June 25.
Investigators wrote that because of “the nature of his case,” Vander Meer was placed into protective custody. He was seen sitting upright and awake at 9 p.m., and he had no known medical conditions. He also did not mention being suicidal during a mental health screening.
Inside the cell, police wrote that Vander Meer “left a hand written suicide letter and a hand written will in his cell which has been photographed and impounded.” The following paragraph of the report was redacted, and no further details on Vander Meer’s death were disclosed.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released its official rulings on his cause and manner of death.
Bernadette’s parents, Richard and Laura Gudenkauf, told News 3 they long suspected Vander Meer played a role in her death.
“Because of the girlfriend,” said Laura. “I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
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