College Article Feature: Season End on a high note

Written by Maxim Voronin | University of Utah

(March 24, 2025) — After a frustrating seven-game losing streak, the Salt Lake City Stars played their final game of the season at home at the Maverick Center against the Santa Cruz Warriors. The Stars managed to end the season on a positive note, defeating the Warriors 131–119 and finishing season with a 14–20 record.

From the very start, the game proceeded at the Stars' pace—or, more precisely, at the pace of #3 Abmas, who scored the Stars' first 11 points. Following his lead, the rest of the team began to find their scoring touch and took complete control of the game at both ends of the floor. The first quarter ended 44–29 in favor of the hosts, with 4/7 3’s made and boasted an impressive 64%FG.

Little changed in the second quarter; while the Stars did whatever they pleased on the court, the Warriors were unable to mount any kind of response. They committed errors and turnovers, and threw passes to spots where their teammates were no longer standing. In short, the Warriors simply could not find their rhythm in the first half, which concluded with the Stars leading 80–61.

Following the first half, a special mention is due to Max Abmas, who scored 25 points—shooting an outstanding 7/9 from three-point range—in just the first two quarters.

Would the Stars be able to maintain their lead in the second half, or would the Warriors flip the switch and impose their own style of play? Fans didn't have to wait long for an answer; almost immediately after the second half began, the Warriors appeared to have corrected their mistakes, playing with much greater cohesion on both offense and defense. Then, with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Santa Cruz unleashed a 15–0 run. The third quarter ended with the score at 102–90.

The first half of the fourth quarter proved to be incredibly exciting. The first half was a tight contest; at one point, the Warriors nearly erased a 19-point deficit, cutting the gap down to just five. However, the Stars decided to demonstrate that they wouldn't surrender a comeback so easily, and they showed their true character. As a result, the Stars won the game, proving that they won't go down without a fight.

Max Abmas delivered a magnificent performance, scoring 40 points on 10/14 shooting from three-point range and 12/21 FG. He set a new career high in points and also tied his career high for three-pointers made. His performance was a pivotal factor in the victory, as Salt Lake City Stars head coach Rick Higgins put it: "Max finds ways to get hot, and then he looks for heat checks."

Furthermore, the rest of the team played well; five players scored in double figures, with three of them scoring more than 20 points

Overall, the season was a solid one, marked by its share of ups and downs. Following the game, Rick Higgins summarized the key areas the team needs to address to improve its performance—specifically, ball movement and team play. As he noted: "When the ball was being shared, there were plenty of opportunities for everyone." He also indicated that during the offseason, the team would focus on improving its physical conditioning, maintaining defensive focus in the closing stages of games, and working more effectively to create scoring opportunities for their teammates.