Saturday, February 17, 2018 10:00 PM (ET)

Utah fends off Washington State for 4th straight win

Field Level Media
Feb 18, 2018
Senior guard Justin Bibbins scored 24 points to help Utah register a 77-70 victory over Washington State on Saturday in Pac-12 action at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash.

Senior forward Gabe Bealer had 18 points on six 3-pointers for the Utes (17-9, 9-6 Pac-12), who won their fourth consecutive game. Senior forward Tyler Rawson contributed 15 points and a career-best 15 rebounds to help Utah defeat the Cougars for the ninth consecutive time.

Sophomore guard Malachi Flynn had 20 points and four steals while junior forward Robert Franks tallied 18 for Washington State (10-16, 2-12), which lost for the eighth time in the past nine games. Junior guard Viont'e Daniels added 14 points for the Cougars, who were 15-of-41 from 3-point range and shot 36.1 percent overall.

The Utes shot 50 percent from the field, including 12-of-31 from 3-point range.

Utah used a 17-0 surge in the first half to open up a huge lead, but Washington State refused to go away.

Utah led by 10 at halftime before scoring the first seven points of the second half to make it 45-28 with 17:08 left. The lead was again 17 when Bealer drained a 3-pointer 6 1/2 minutes later.

Washington State later used a 10-3 spurt to pull within 62-56 on a 3-pointer by Daniels with five minutes left. Utah pushed its advantage back to 12 before Flynn and Franks knocked down 3-pointers to again get the Cougars within six.

Daniels hit a 3-pointer with 2:13 remaining to bring Washington State within 70-65 and another one 30 seconds later to cut the Utes' lead to four. But Bibbins lofted a short arching bank that kissed high off the glass before dropping in with 25.9 seconds remaining to make it 74-68, and Utah closed it out.

Rawson had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half, as Utah held a 38-28 advantage.

Washington State trailed 16-13 before the Utes began their stretch of 17 consecutive points. Bibbins began the spurt with a 3-pointer and Bealer drained two during the run that gave Utah a 20-point lead with 5:52 left.

The Cougars pulled within seven in the final minutes before the Utes took a 10-point lead into the break.

--Field Level Media

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