Strong Second Half Leads Runnin' Utes To Best Win Of The Season
If Utah was going to change around the fortunes of its season, it was well known that Timmy Allen and Alfonso Plummer were going to have to play better than they did against UCLA.
The duo, who entered last Thursday's game with the Bruins averaging 30 points together, largely disappointed that night. They combined to score 15 points on 7-of-22 shooting and the result was a massive uncompetitive 76-61 loss.
They had a chance to turn things around on Saturday night, but it would have to come against No. 19 USC, a tall task against one of the top teams in the country.
Plummer and Allen were up to the challenge, combining for 34 points in leading Utah to a 71-61 over the Trojans. The victory snapped the Utes four-game losing streak and showcased how good this team can be when playing well.
"If you really come out with a competitive mindset and you come out with a connected mindset, where you're trying to do things collectively, I think our team can be pretty good," Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "When you look back, a win's always a bright spot and losses are not a bright spot, but the key right now is for us to get clicking along on more cylinders."
The dynamic duo was particularly impressive in the second half in which Utah outscored USC 44-32. They combined for 22 points (11 each) and did so in a variety of ways.
Allen did his damage down on the block, using his elite athleticism to go by the taller Trojan defenders. He finished with 15 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals in another efficient and all-around good performance.
"The best part of my game is I'm not just a scorer," Allen said. "My mindset was just to come out and make plays, regardless of that being me scoring or getting a teammate a shot."
Feb 27, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes forward Timmy Allen (1) control the ball against USC Trojans forward Max Agbonkpolo (23) in the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
With Allen working down low, Plummer overcame a very slow start to the second half to finish with 11 straight points. All of them came with six minutes left, and as a response to whenever USC appeared to make a slight comeback.
He finished with a game-high 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, adding in three rebounds for good measure.
It was a really ugly start to the game for both teams as they combined for 19 turnovers in the first half. Neither team was able to find a rhythm on the offensive end as Utah's three-point shooting helped offset USC's rebounding advantage, including 10 offensive rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
Trailing by 29-27 entering the second half, the Utes came out on fire on both ends of the court.
Utah made 11 of its first 13 shots, including nine in a row at one point, to go on a 21-6 run and take a 48-35 lead with 13:17 remaining in the game.
The Trojans put up one more fight, responding with a 13-5 run to make it a five-point game with 7:36 left to play.
With USC threatening, the Utes went on a three-point shooting barrage as four of their next five made buckets were three-pointers. Branden Carlson got things started with a three-pointer before Plummer caught fire to close out the game for Utah.
“We just stick to the script and keep plugging along and don’t worry about what you all say,” Allen said.
While Plummer and Allen were great on offense, the defense as a whole was sensational.
Utah was able to limit USC star Evan Mobley — the frontrunner for Pac-12 Player of the Year and potential No. 1 draft pick — to just 11 points and eight rebounds. He only took seven shots in 33 minutes, making two of them.
"You can't take everything away with the player of his caliber, but you try. ... You just keep hitting him with body punches, try to wear them out and make them earn everything they get," Krystkowiak said of Mobley.
"Playing a guy like him, it's not a one-on-one matchup," Allen added. "It takes all of us to set a limit on as many touches as he can get. I think we did a good job of that."
Apart from Drew Peterson's 19 points off the bench, Utah held the Trojans to just 31.8% (14-for-44) from the floor and 15.4% (2-for-13) overall from three-point territory.
Feb 27, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; USC Trojans guard Tahj Eaddy (2) and Utah Utes guard Pelle Larsson (3) battle for the ball in the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Utah appeared to be on the ropes in the first half when the Trojans jumped out to a 20-10 lead, especially with Carlson on the bench with two fouls and point guard Rylan Jones out after re-injuring his shoulder.
But Ian Martinez came off the bench and provided a huge spark on both ends of the court. His steal and dunk helped ignite the comeback as the Utes went on a 15-5 run, with Martinez totaling five points, three rebounds, one block and one steal during that span. He finished the game with 10 points in 15 minutes.
"He was instrumental tonight," Krystkowiak said. "His energy and length and athleticism, he got out in passing lanes and got a big steal for us and a dunk, got some other deflections. ... He's long and he's cat-like quick. He stepped up and did what he's capable of doing, staying in the moment and trying to win the next play."
Pelle Larsson finished with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in taking over the point guard role with Jones out hurt while Carlson added seven points and three blocks. Mikael Jantunen returned from quarantine to finish with six points, seven rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes, finishing with a +10.
Utah MBB vs. No. 19 USC — Final Stats
Utah will now turn its attention to the final week of the season in which they'll host Oregon State and Arizona State, two huge games that will go a long ways into determining seeding for the upcoming Pac-12 tournament.
The Utes currently sit in in eighth place at 7-10 in conference play. Oregon State is in sixth place at 9-9 while Arizona State is in seventh at 7-8. Tipoff with the Beavers is set for Wednesday, Mar. 3 at 5 p.m. while they'll face the Sun Devils at Saturday, Mar. 6 at 12 p.m.
Making a profile is free and it only takes ~1 minute to set up. Also, be sure to like us on social media for future coverage:
Twitter — @UtahUtes_SI and Ryan Kostecka at @Ryan_Kostecka