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Utah Holds Off Pesky Idaho State To Stay Perfect On The Season

Despite being out-rebounded by 17, Utah held off a pesky Idaho State team 76-59 on Tuesday night. Freshman Pelle Larsson scored a career-high 14 points, one of six Utes in double figures

Ryan Kostecka

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- It wasn't pretty but at the end of the day, it was a win.

Not necessarily pleased with his team's rebounding effort in the second half, head coach Larry Krystkowiak and Utah held off a pesky Idaho State team to win 76-59 on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

"What we have to keep in mind is this is our second game of the year," Krystkowiak said. "We are still overcoming some COVID-19 stuff with practices. ... I don't know if we are in as good of condition as we need to be. We did great things offensively."

The Utes performance was a start contrast from how they played last week against Washington when they opened up the season with a victory. In that game, the Utes were the aggressor by winning the loose balls and when given the opportunity, stepped on Washington's neck to end it.

That didn't happen on Tuesday. Utah was outrebounded 41-24 by the smaller Bengals, just being outhustled for the 50-50 balls. Multiple times the Utes had the opportunity to end the game but each time they allowed Idaho State to fight its way back into it. 

"We had pretty good half court defense," Krystkowiak said. "Credit to Idaho State. We didn't have the discipline to outlast them and finish the possession with a great blockout and a rebound. They certainly a team with size or athleticism and shouldn't have destroyed us that well."

It was a solid all-around offensive effort as six players scored in double-figures, paced by freshman Pelle Larsson's career-high 14 points. 

Dec 3, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes guard Pelle Larsson (3) dunks the ball in the second half against the Washington Huskies at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

He was a spark plug for the Utes, coming off the bench and bringing stability and scoring to the lineup each time. His biggest contribution came early in the second half when Utah, who was leading by 21, allowed Idaho State to get back into the game with a 9-0 run. Larsson then had a sequence where he scored the Utes' next eight points on a variety of moves and shots.

"Very nice to have him get off to a good start, an indication that he's ready to play," Krystkowiak said of Larsson. "It's hard to be a freshman but I think he's got some great poise and strength, making nice plays for us. He's certainly ahead of the curve right now and playing good basketball."

Alfonso Plummer and Branden Carlson each had 13 points while Rylan Jones and Timmy Allen added 12 and 11 respectively. Mikael Jantunen was the final Ute in double figures with 10 points — and Riley Battin was the only other Ute to score, finishing with two points.

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Utah vs. Idaho State — Final Stats

It was an ugly start to the game as neither team was able to find much of a rhythm. The Utes looked out of sorts as they were missing far too many easy buckets — however their defense was stellar in limiting the Bengals to tough looks.

The game began to turn when Jones stole the ball and dished to Larsson up ahead, who threw it down with the authority, igniting the seven non-workers in attendance.

Leading by six midway through the first half, the Utes came alive again. But this time it was Jones doing the damage, going on a mini 8-0 run himself as part of a larger 17-2 run to end the half.

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Utah vs. Idaho State — Halftime Stats

After Larsson's rally early in the second half calmed things down for the Utes, they were able to get the lead back up to 21. 

But it was short-lived as the Bengals continuously chipped away, primarily through the boards. Every time Utah appeared ready to pull away and run Idaho State out of the gym, the Bengals would grab an offensive rebound and get the big bucket. 

Utah had its lead down to 11 late in the game before Plummer got going for the Utes. The sharpshooter knocked down three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give Utah some breathing room. But it was Allen's three-pointer with just over a minute left that sealed the win.

Jones was essential down the stretch, playing great defense and recording two of his game-high five steals. He also did a good job slowing down the tempo and controlling the offense for the Utes.

Dec 8, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes guard Rylan Jones (15) puts up a shot against Idaho State Bengals guard Robert Ford III (20) in the second half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

"I think we are still finding our identity and comfort," Krystkowiak said. "You can't speed up the clock and gain experience, guys have to be in position playing against new guys and seeing different things. We can't simulate that, so know it's gaining a certain level of being comfortable in that."

The Utes were decimated on the offensive glass, giving up 17 offensive rebounds to the Bengals. That was the biggest difference why Idaho State in the game, and something that according to Krystkowiak, the Utes will address in practice all week long ahead of Saturday's rivalry game with BYU.

"It's a heck of an eye-opener for us, certainly a point of emphasis moving forward," Krystkowiak said.

Jones said the rivalry will still be as competitive as ever, despite the fact that there won't be any fans in attendance. Krystkowiak believes that can't be considered an issue for the Utes as it will be on them to bring their own hype. 

"Game three against BYU is going to be a heck of a challenge for us," Krystkowiak said. "A lot of this season is going to come down to intrinsic characteristics and having enough pride on the court. When we do things the right way, there will be plenty of more things to cheer about. ... I'm just thrilled that we are playing."

Utah tips off with BYU on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on BYUtv.

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