SALT LAKE CITY – All five Utah starters scored in double figures and the Utes (17-8, 8-5) came away with a season sweep over Washington, downing the Huskies (9-16, 2-11) 85-61 Saturday afternoon at the Huntsman Center.
The Utes got off to a slow start, but again managed to erase an eight-point deficit on the way to earning its eighth Pac-12 Conference victory of the season.
The Huskies took an 18-10 lead with 12:47 to play in the first half, but then went the next 9:41 without a field goal and Utah countered with a 20-0 run to erase the eight-point deficit. Senior Lorenzo Bonam got the run going with a three-pointer and freshman Devon Daniels later poured in a mid-range jumper to give Utah a 30-18 lead.
“I know our guys were playing really hard, obviously if the other team is not scoring,” said Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “I think it starts with the defensive sides of things. It is easier to defend people when you are not trying to defend turnovers. Anytime you shut someone out for a period of time, you start with the defense.”
The Huskies made one of two free throws at the 5:16 mark to stop the run, but would not get its next field goal until the 3:06 mark. Both teams would go on to trade baskets over the final three minutes of the period, but it was Utah up 44-28 at the break.
UW scored the first six points of the second half, but again Utah countered, this time going on a 11-0 run to take a commanding 55-34 lead.
The Huskies would only get back within 14 points of the Utes at various times throughout the second half, but Utah’s 47.8 percent (11-of-23) shooting from three-point range proved to me too much for the visiting squad.
Sophomore Parker Van Dyke and Daniels led the way with 16 points each, while the other three starters – junior Kyle Kuzma (13), junior David Collette (14) and Bonam (11) all posted double-digit scoring efforts as well.
UW was led by David Crisp’s game-high 31 points and Noah Dickerson added 18 points, but no other Husky had more than four points in the loss. UW was without its leading scorer, Markelle Fultz, for a second straight game as he sat out with a knee injury.
Van Dyke drained a career-high four three-pointers and Bonam added three buckets from downtown. Utah’s 11 three-pointers on the afternoon was just one off of its season-high 12 three-pointers, which came against Coppin State back on Nov. 18.
“[The three-pointers] was great,” said Krystkowiak. “They were primarily zone all night. We worked pretty lengthy yesterday on some zone specials. You’d probably anticipate more three’s versus a zone. Although we did a nice job on getting the ball inside as well.”
“Parker has been on fire in practice. I know he was 1-of-6 on Thursday, but every one of those, we watched on film, they are down on the rim and coming back out. He’s been dialed in.”
GAME NOTES
• Utah moved to 13-9 all-time against Washington, which includes a 7-2 mark against the Huskies at home. The Utes swept the season series from the Huskies for the second straight season.
• Parker Van Dyke’s 16 points were a career-high, eclipsing his previous mark of 15 points, which he had set twice this season.
• Kyle Kuzma notched his 15th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He is one double-double shy from Jakob Poeltl’s mark of 16 double-doubles for the most in a single season since Andrew Bogut tallied 26 double-doubles in 2004-05.
• David Collette has posted double-digit scoring efforts in all 15 games he has played in this season.
• Utah tallied 21 assists on the afternoon – the team’s most assists in a game since registering 20 assists at Arizona State back on Jan. 7.
• Both teams traded 10 turnovers each in the first half, but Utah scored 12 points off those turnovers, while UW poured in eight points. Utah finished the game with 18 points off 16 Husky turnovers.
• Utah won the rebounding advantage 39-23, which included 15 offensive boards to UW’s nine in the game. The Utes outscored the Huskies 18-7 in second-chance points.
• Utah overcame an eight-point deficit and picked up the win for the fifth time this season. All five come-from-behind victories have come against Pac-12 opponents.
UP NEXT
Utah hits the road next week for a pair of Pac-12 contests against both Oregon schools. The Utes will take on No. 5-ranked Oregon on Thursday, Feb. 16 before closing out the week at Oregon State on Sunday, Feb. 19.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @oldschoolag
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.