by Bob Sims

Former Kennedy Lancers standout Aminah Williams pulled down 11 rebounds on Thursday to help the Washington Huskies carve out a 75-64 win over Utah in the Pac-12 Conference women's tournament at Key Arena.

Williams, a 6-foot senior forward from West Seattle, took charge of the boards early on, getting several defensive rebounds to fuel the Huskies' transition game -- and to aid them in digging out of a 9-3 hole during the game's beginnings.

The Huskies (23-8, 11-7 Pac-12) now face California (22-8, 13-5) in a quarterfinal matchup tonight at 8:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network. A win against the Bears would strengthen Washington's chances to be picked for a NCAA Tournament berth. The Huskies haven't been to the tournament since 2007.
Williams, who is the Huskies' all-time best rebounder, received Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honorable-mention honors this week.

This season, Williams has averaged nearly 10 rebounds a game and has scored 8.8 points. Of Williams' 291 rebounds over the 2014-15 campaign, 194 have come on the defensive side. She either lead --or tied for the lead -- in rebounding 22 times this season.

Former Seattle Christian star Katie Collier also plays for the Huskies as a reserve center/forward.