Runnin' Utes Move on to Second Round of the NIT

The Utes are moving on after beating UCI in the first round of the NIT.

The first round of the NIT is in the books, and Utah is moving on after besting the UCI Anteaters 84-75 at the Huntsman.

UTES ADVANCE‼️

Thank you, Utah fans, for coming out tonight! See you at the Huntsman Center again this weekend💪 pic.twitter.com/2cIpKc8FP1

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 20, 2024

For the Utes, Branden Carlson led the team in points and rebounds, going 8/9 from the field and 4/4 from the line for 21 while grabbing 11 boards, 10 on the defensive half of the court. Deivon Smith led the team in assists, dishing out 10 times, while accompanying that with 16 points of his own in 35 minutes. 

For the Anteaters, Derin Saran led the team in scoring with 16 points, going 6/12 from the field and 2/2 from the line. Devin Tillis came in as the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 7 boards, all on the defensive glass. Meanwhile, Pierre Cockrell II dished out 5 dimes in 29 minutes, leading the team. 

It was a close game throughout, and despite losing the turnover battle, 11-6, the Utes made up for it with their shooting, going 55.2% from the field, and 50% from beyond the arc. UCI shot at a 41.1% clip from the field and 33.3% from range which ultimately allowed the Utes to pull away in the final minutes even with the advantage on the boards and with turnovers. 

Next up for the Runnin' Utes is a second-round matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Hunstman, which will determine who moves on to the quarterfinals.