Lani White’s Fourth-Quarter Surge Lifts Utah Over UCF in Gritty Road Win
ORLANDO, Fla. - Utah needed a response after a tough rivalry loss to BYU, and they got one - thanks in large part to a fourth-quarter takeover by Lani White.
The Utes had built a 13-point cushion late in the third quarter, but UCF wasn’t ready to fold. The Knights clawed their way back into it, slicing the deficit down to six early in the fourth. That’s when White put her foot on the gas and never looked back.
White dropped 10 of her game-high 22 points in the final frame, stopping UCF’s momentum cold. Her fourth-quarter scoring burst started with a confident three from the top of the key - a momentum-stopper if there ever was one.
A few possessions later, she attacked the rim, finished through contact, and converted the and-one. Just like that, the Utes had breathing room again.
Once White got rolling, her teammates followed suit. Maty Wilke, who’d been Utah’s most consistent threat from deep all night, buried a timely three. Then LA Sneed drained a tough, contested triple just before the shot clock expired - a dagger that helped seal the deal in a 67-57 win on the road.
For Utah, this was more than just a bounce-back victory. It was a gritty, grind-it-out performance that showed resilience and poise when the game tightened up late.
White led all scorers with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting night, adding three rebounds and two assists. Her fourth-quarter heroics were the headline, but Wilke’s steady shooting was just as critical. She poured in 18 points and hit five of Utah’s 10 made threes, spacing the floor and keeping UCF’s defense honest throughout.
No other Ute cracked double figures, but freshman Reese Ross made her presence felt on the glass, pulling down a team-high nine boards as Utah won the rebounding battle 36-35.
On the other side, UCF had three players in double figures. Kristol Ayson led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Mahogany Chandler-Roberts added 13 and five. Summer Yancy chipped in 12 points and nine boards, nearly posting a double-double of her own.
This one wasn’t pretty early on. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm in a sluggish first quarter that ended with Utah clinging to an 11-10 lead. Neither side shot above 30% in the opening 10 minutes, and points were hard to come by.
But Utah found its groove in the middle quarters, outscoring UCF 38-27 in that stretch. That offensive surge - combined with a defense that held UCF to just five made threes and forced 17 turnovers - gave the Utes just enough cushion to weather the Knights’ late push.
Still, UCF found ways to hang around, thanks to their work inside. The Knights scored 30 of their 57 points in the paint and turned Utah’s turnovers into 18 points. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to overcome White’s fourth-quarter takeover and the Utes’ timely shot-making.
With this win, Utah gets back on track and shows they can close out tight games on the road - something that will matter down the stretch.