Branden Carlson scored 26 points to lead Utah to a 76-62 victory over visiting Utah Valley in Salt Lake City on Saturday afternoon.
Rollie Worster tallied 13 points and nine assists for the Utes. Gabe Madsen also chipped in 13 points and Lawson Lovering had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Utah (8-2) notched its fifth straight win after shooting 50 percent from the field and knocking down nine 3-pointers. The Utes had 23 assists on 29 baskets.
Caleb Stone-Carrawell scored 12 points and Tanner Toolson added 11 to lead the Wolverines, while Trevin Dorius collected 10 rebounds. Utah Valley (6-5) lost a second consecutive game to a Pac-12 opponent despite forcing 16 turnovers.
The Wolverines trimmed a double-digit deficit to five late in the game. Drake Allen made a pair of layups and Stone-Carrawell hit a jumper to help Utah Valley make it 67-62 with 2:43 left.
Carlson bookended a game-ending 9-0 run with a pair of free throws and a dunk that kept the Wolverines from drawing any closer. Utah Valley missed its final seven shots from the field.
Utah Valley hit seven of eight shots while stringing together a 7-0 run to stake out a 17-9 lead over Utah. The Wolverines scored on four straight possessions during the run, getting a basket apiece from Stone-Carrawell, Dorius and Drake Allen.
Utah erased the deficit quickly with four straight baskets. Carlson and Madsen both drained 3-pointers to bookend a pair of baskets from Keita. The Utes’ barrage fueled a 10-2 run that tied it at 19-19.
The Utes surged in front before halftime behind a 15-2 run. Carlson scored a go-ahead layup and capped the run with his second 3-pointer, putting Utah up 36-28.
The Wolverines missed 12 of 13 shots over a nine-minute stretch spanning both halves. Their prolonged shooting drought allowed the Utes to extend their lead to 43-32 behind back-to-back baskets from Carlson and Worster.
–Field Level Media
