Utah's Defense Tightens Late To Defeat Utah Valley

After leading by 15 midway through the second half, Utah had to hang on for dear life as Utah Valley rallied to cut it to a one-point game. But the Utes hung on for the win to reach 3-1 on the season

During Monday's press conference, Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak said that he believes his defense was ahead of his offense.

It appears he was right.

Utah relied on defensive pressure and the shot blocking of Branden Carlson to hold Utah Valley scoreless over the final three minutes of the game to pull out the 75-67 victory on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Carlson finished with a season-high four blocks on the night, the biggest of which came within the final minute to secure the victory.

HUGE block from @ballerbranden35 to seal the win!

📲 https://t.co/BKtjkbllso#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/jrVsu2T0jD

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) December 16, 2020

He also had his best offensive performance of the season. finishing with 14 points while adding two rebounds and two assists as well.

The game was a great bounce back for Timmy Allen and Rylan Jones, who combined to score 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting in the loss to BYU this past weekend. 

Allen finished with team-highs of 19 points and six rebounds, adding in two assists while shooting 8-of-17 from the floor. He was much more aggressive this game, looking for his shot early and often but rarely forcing up bad ones.

Likewise, Jones finished with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in a very efficient 4-of-7 from the floor (2-for-4 from beyond the arc). His ball handling was essential as he was hounded by Utah Valley's Jordan Brinson for much of the night, but only turned the ball over once while getting Brinson to foul out.

Dec 15, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Valley Wolverines guard Jordan Brinson (23) goes over Utah Utes guard Rylan Jones (15) in the second half, having to leave the game with an injury at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't the best of starts for the Utes, who found themselves trailing early after not putting forth much energy. Meanwhile, Utah valley came out hot behind the play of Evan Cole. The big man was virtually unstoppable for the Wolverines and had them out to an early 22-17 lead.

Utah responded with an 18-7 run, largely aided by the aggressiveness of Allen and the offensive play of Carlson. The Utes expanded on that run to lead 41-35 at the break.

Dec 15, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) congratulates forward Timmy Allen (1) after a steal and a basket in the second half against the Utah Valley Wolverines at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Utah really opened things up in the second half behind the shooting of Jones and Alfonso Plummer (12 points, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc) and the hustle of Allen. The Utes began the half on a 9-2 run, and led by as many as 15 points.

While it appeared Utah would cruise to an easy victory, Cole had other plans. He once again began to dominate down in the paint while Utah's offense became stagnant. Behind the big man, the Wolverine's slowly chipped away before making it a 68-67 game with just over three minutes to play.

But the game changed when Jones used a great pump fake to get Brinson into the air and draw the foul. Not only did Brinson foul out, Jones sank both free throws for the three-point lead. 

After a stop on defense, Carlson put the game away when he scored a tough layup in traffic while getting fouled. Although he missed the free throw, Allen grabbed the offensive rebound and got it to Pelle Larsson, who was fouled and knocked down both free throws.

Dec 15, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) shoots over Utah Valley Wolverines center Fardaws Aimaq (11) in the second half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Carlson's block on the other end of the game sealed the victory as Allen's free throw completed the scoring.

Utah vs. Utah Valley — Final Stats

Utah will returns to action on Friday when it hosts Idaho at 7 p.m. at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It will the Utes' final nonconference game of the year before they head to Tempe to face Arizona State on Dec. 22. 

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