SALT LAKE CITY – Utah scraped by two points at halftime and clung on just to keep the game close to USC 19 at Huntsman Center on Saturday night.
But the Utes used a quick 8-0 run that started with a top-of-the-key 3-pointer from Pelle Larsson and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Timmy Allen to make a comeback in the second half start. Andy Enfield, head coach of USC, saw enough and asked for a time-out to break the boom in Utah.
However, the time-out was only a temporary interruption as Utah built up a 13-point lead and was in charge of a USC team that struggled to switch on the offensive side of the ball against a difficult domestic presence of Utah. The Utes held on to the bitter end, upsetting USC 71-61 by losing a four-game win and earning the most impressive win of the season, just over a week before the Pac-12 tournament.
“If you really have a competitive mindset and you come up with a connected mindset where you try to do things together, I think our team can be pretty good,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said.
“Looking back, a win is always a bright spot and losses are not a bright spot, but the key is that we need to click on more cylinders.”
Utah (10-11, 7-10) scored USC 44-32 in the second half and was led by Alfonso Plummer, who finished with 19 points and three rebounds and was a key component in the second half of Utah, which made three timely indicators in the second half to make Utah win. Allen added 15 points and eight assists to give Utah an offensive presence.
USC (19-6, 13-5) tried late in the game to try a full court press in an effort to convert Utah, which ended 15 times in the game – 10 of which came in the first half has – but Utah did not give up. and clung to the victory.
In the first eight minutes of the game, Branden Carlson of Utah picked up his second offense – an illegal screen against a USC player who had already fallen to the ground – and Rylan Jones left the game due to an injury to his right shoulder after he jumped. on the ground to collect a loose ball. At the moment, USC showed no disappointment and they controlled a 16-8 lead, which was apparently the start of a route in favor of the best team in the Pac-12.
That is until freshmen Ian Martinez entered the game.
The state map may not have shown everything Martinez did to stop the tide, but he was an integral part of Utah fighting back halfway through the first half against USC. His quick and active hands picked up a pass that was taken back on an undisputed dunk for some time, and his aggressive fight in the wicket gave Utah multiple second-shot shots, including a 3-pointer for Alfonso Plummer in the corner for 3-pointer.
Martinez fights low again and fights for a basket under the hoop with three USC defenders surrounding him and getting the chance to fall and the subsequent making of the free-throw line to complete the 3-point. On the defensive side, Martinez blocked a shot and suffocated a USC team to drop something amid a crowd of turnover.
At halftime, Utah trailed 29-27 and the two teams scored 19 times together. But Martinez was many of the reasons Utah kept the game within striking distance.
“He was instrumental tonight,” Krystkowiak said. “His energy and height and athleticism – he came out in passing lanes and got a big handle for us and a dunk, got another deflection; he’s tall and he’s fast like a cat.
“He acted and did what he’s capable of doing – he’s staying in the moment and trying to win the next play.”
Mikael Jantunen, who played an overseas trip with the Finnish national team, returned to the starting line-up for the Utes and finished with 6 points, seven rebounds and three assistants in the victory.
Utah held USC’s leading scorer and likely NBA draft pick Evan Mobley to 11 points, seven of which came from the free throw line – and limited his impact in a game he was used to controlling.
“You can’t take everything away from the player of his caliber,” Krystkowiak said, “but you try – you just keep pushing him, trying to carry them out and making them earn everything they get.”
Allen said the attempt was a five-man attack on Mobley.
“Playing a man like him is not a one-on-one game,” he added. ‘It takes us all to set a limit to as many touches as he can get. I think we did our best. ‘
Krystkowiak said he does not know the extent of Jones’ shoulder injury, although it looks a little different than how he hurt it a few weeks ago when he was forced to miss four games.
“I know it’s a little different from how he hurt it before – my fingers are crossed – but we’re all crushed on him, there’s no doubt,” Krystkowiak said. ‘In a typical Rylan way, he chased a ball, spread a loose ball on the floor and spread it over his shoulder again. My heart fell.
‘We talked about it in the timeout – we lost one of our brothers and we have to get some guys to act and make up for his absence. We will keep him in our thoughts and prayers and hope that we can help him court again. This is a sad situation. ‘