Dotson shines in final home game for SUU, leads T-Birds to victory

Written by Jeff Richards
March 5, 2022
Southern Utah University senior Darri Dotson plays in her final home game for the Thunderbirds, a 75-65 win over Weber State, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — In her final home game as a member of Southern Utah University’s women’s basketball team, forward Darri Dotson scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help the Thunderbirds to a 75-65 win over Weber State on Friday night.

Southern Utah University forward Darri Dotson is cheered by teammates during pregame introduction on “Senior Night,” Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Dotson, the team’s only senior, is actually nearing the end of her second senior season, having picked up an extra year of eligibility due to COVID. She was recognized before the “Senior Night” contest by teammates, coaches and fans. 

Members of the Dotson and Frandsen families and their friends comprised a sizable portion of the 500 or so fans in attendance at Friday’s game. Many of Dotson’s supporters wore black shirts with a red logo featuring No. 40, and held up “Go Darri!” signs and posters.

Then after the game, a crowd of family members cheered Dotson as she walked back onto the court from the locker room, with several people shooting confetti into the air with poppers.

“I’ve just been so blessed,” Dotson said after the game. “Especially coming from a small school, it’s hard to even get to continue playing. Everything has worked out. God knows what doors will open for me. I’m super grateful.”

In her five seasons at SUU, the 6-foot-1 Dotson has played in 136 games, eclipsing the old school record of 123, set by Carli Moreland from 2010-14, according to SUU. Her collegiate career averages are 9.27 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

Southern Utah University forward Darri Dotson shoots a free throw during SUU’s 75-65 win over Weber State, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Dotson’s storied collegiate career came on the heels of a successful high school career at Panguitch, where, under her maiden name of Darri Frandsen, she helped the basketball team to back-to-back 1A state championships in 2014 and 2015, with the Bobcats going undefeated both years. She also lettered in cross-country, track and volleyball all four years at Panguitch and was the Class of 2015’s valedictorian.

After playing two years at SUU from 2015-17, she served an 18-month LDS mission to Italy from 2017-19, after which she resumed her collegiate career. The daughter of David and Cherri Frandsen of Panguitch, she married Garrett Dotson of Cedar City in March 2021. 

In SUU’s game against Weber State on Friday, the Thunderbirds never trailed, building a 10-point lead in the first quarter and staying up by seven at halftime.

Early in the fourth period, Weber State managed to trim the deficit to three points, but SUU then went on a 15-2 run to retake control. The T-Birds converted 17-of-22 free throws in the fourth quarter alone to put the Wildcats away.

SUU’s Darri Dotson is congratulated by family members and friends following Thunderbirds’ 75-65 win over Weber State, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Dotson and center Lizzy Williamson each scored 12 points in the first half as the T-Birds took command with their inside game early on. Then, in the second half, it was SUU’s guards turn to shine. Madeleyn Eaton and Margarita Satini, who had just one point between them at halftime, each reached double figures in the second half, with Satini scoring 12 and Eaton finishing with 10. 

“They (the defenders) were out on our guards, so the post had a heyday,” Dotson said. “And then, they sucked in on our posts, so then the guards could play. It was really inside-out.”

“It was just fun to play, and we were all there for each other,” added Dotson, who also recorded two blocked shots and a steal during the contest.

“She is the definition of hard work and always puts the team first,” SUU head coach Tracy Sanders said of Dotson in a congratulatory Facebook post after the game.

With the win over Weber State, Southern Utah finishes its regular season with an overall record of 18-11, including a 14-6 mark in conference play. The team leaves on Sunday for Idaho, where they’ll play in next week’s Big Sky Conference tournament in Boise. The T-Birds are likely to be seeded third, which means they’ll have a bye on Monday before playing on Tuesday night. Click here to see the bracket with scheduled times.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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