Washington St. @ Utah preview
Jon M. Huntsman Center
Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2019 ) Utah 92, Washington St. 79
Utah true freshman Rylan Jones is growing up quickly. The point guard had 13 points and nine assists, including eight free throws in the final 2:30 Thursday in a 67-66 comeback win over Washington, and now will try to carry the momentum over into Saturday night’s home contest against Washington State.
Saddled with a four-game losing streak and trailing 56-45 with 5:30 to play, the Runnin’ Utes rallied around Jones, who scored all 13 of his points in Utah’s closing 22-10 run. Jones and his teammates were forced to challenge the Huskies’ zone, and he wound up doing most of his damage at the free-throw line, finishing 9-of-10, including what proved to be the game-winning free throws with 14 seconds remaining. “He’s comforting (for the team),” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said of Jones. “(He’s) a tough kid (who’s) been on a steep learning curve and roller-coaster, and it’s been hard with the stretch that we just went through.” Thursday night, meanwhile, played out just the opposite for Washington State as the Cougars were outscored 24-6 over the final 12 minutes of a 78-56 loss at Colorado, and they now head to Salt Lake City hoping to salvage a split of their Rocky Mountain road trip.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: Pac-12 Network
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (12-8, 3-4 Pac-12): The Cougars were coming off their best offensive showing of the season – last weekend’s 89-76 home win over Oregon State – but wound up matching their season-low point total while scoring 23 second-half points and shooting 37.3 percent from the field in Boulder. Guards CJ Elleby (18.8 points per game) and Isaac Bonton (14.3) combined for 25 points on 10-of-28 shooting after teaming up for 56 points in the win over the Beavers. Forward Daron Henson, playing in just his third game of the season, was a bright spot with 13 points off the bench, but the Cougars will need a better effort on the glass as they were outrebounded 45-28 by Colorado.
ABOUT UTAH (11-7, 2-4): Forwards Riley Battin (17 points), Timmy Allen (13) and Mikael Jantunen (10) joined Jones in double figures Thursday, but the Utes suffered through one of their worst shooting nights of the season in hitting 33.9 percent from the field, including a brutal 3-of-24 showing from 3-point range. Still, Utah was able to win for the first time this year when being outshot from the floor, thanks largely to a 24-of-32 outing at the free-throw stripe which fortified their position as the Pac-12’s top free-throwing team (74.7 percent on the season). Allen ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 19.4 points per contest and leads the team in rebounding (7.6) but has averaged 13.5 points and 6.8 boards while shooting 32.7 percent from the field over his last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Utah has won 12 of 14 matchups, including each of the last 11, against Washington State since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
2. The Cougars, who are 1-4 on the road this season, are 0-10 in Utah’s Huntsman Center since it debuted as the Utes’ home court in 1969.
3. Bonton leads Washington State with 3.8 assists per game but has dished out at least six in each of his last three contests.
PREDICTION: Utah 76, Washington State 68