'Epitome of Vermont women’s basketball': Utterback closes career following WNIT Fab 4 loss

As Vermont women's basketball coach Alisa Kresge gave her final remarks on the 2023-24 season, Emma Utterback paced in the background, tissues in hand, to dry her eyes.

When it came her time to address the media, a choked-up Utterback first apologized for her emotional state. But she had no reason to offer up a "I'm sorry." Her college career had just ended minutes earlier, a 57-54 defeat to St. Louis in the Fab 4 semifinal round of the WNIT at Patrick Gym on Wednesday night.

After five seasons, an America East championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, a haul of all-conference honors and etching her name in program record books — topped by her and classmate Delaney Richason sharing the mark for most games played — Utterback earned every right to speak from the heart, tears and all, following the 136th and final time representing the Vermont Catamounts on a basketball floor.

"It just means everything to me because when I first got here, no one really paid attention to Vermont women’s basketball," Utterback said. "I came here because I wanted that experience and I wanted that feeling, just to feel so close to the community and just for women’s basketball to be loved and appreciated."

Utterback made her home debut on Nov. 17, 2019 with less than 600 fans at Patrick Gym. Wednesday night, nearly 1,700 jammed into Patrick. For the season, Vermont averaged close to 1,000 for every home game; almost double the per-game attendance from Utterback's freshman year.

"And to me, that’s what gets me so choked up is, that we were able to do that. I’m just so grateful that there was a community that believed in us and supported us," Utterback said. "We wouldn’t be as successful as we are without their support, without their energy."

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Wednesday's game did not finish as Vermont (25-12) and its fans had hoped. The Catamounts built a nine-point lead midway through the third quarter before St. Louis (21-18) stormed back with a 13-2 spurt to take a slight, 41-37 advantage into the fourth quarter. St. Louis then kept Vermont at bay over the final 10 minutes.

Peyton Kennedy scored nine of her game-high 23 points in the third quarter and Brooklyn Gray added 13 points to power St. Louis into Saturday's WNIT championship vs. Minnesota.

Bella Vito (11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals) and Utterback (10 points, four assists) each reached double figures while Richason added nine points and Anna Olson chipped in eight points for Vermont, which ultimately couldn't overcome a bevy of wide-open layup misses and the Billikens' rebounding edge (34-26) and points in the paint (40). During its game-changing third quarter, St. Louis also shot 76.9% from the floor.

"Obviously extremely proud of this group, really showed up for this postseason tournament and really grinded and grinded. Tonight, a couple shots we normally make didn’t roll in and if they do, it’s a different ending," Kresge said. "We could’ve really shut it down after Maine and they showed up and they wrote a different ending to this year."

Utterback and Richason, the two Indiana natives, got an additional two weeks as Catamounts with their WNIT run. The Catamounts reached the semifinals for the first time in program history, beat Purdue in Utterback and Richason's home state for their first win over a Power 5 conference since the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

"The hardest thing, I won’t be in the gym working with Delaney and Emma ever again. That’s the toughest thing about today," Kresge said. "This group has really brought the energy and light back to women’s basketball."

And the spark to a program revival started with Utterback, who will graduate fifth in career points (1,796) and third in assists.

In her final comments, Utterback preached the importance of a disciplined work ethic.

"The biggest message that I have, when you have faith in your passion and you put work into your passion you can do whatever you want," Utterback said. "I’m just very thankful and I think the biggest mark I want to leave is just to spread love and show what hard work can do."

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.