The Utah men’s basketball team headed into their matchup with the UC Irvine Anteaters with a trip to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament on the line. The first half saw both teams shoot lights out from the field as Utah took a 46-40 lead into the locker room. The Utes were able to pick up the defense in the second half, holding UC Irvine to just 35 points, as they eventually came away with an 84-75 win, advancing them to the second round of the NIT.
First Half
The Utes opened up this game by shooting lights out from the field, as they were able to put up 46 points on 55.9% from the field and 57.1% from 3-point range in the first half. Despite the hot shooting from Utah, UC Irvine was able to hang in against a potent Utah offensive attack, scoring 40 points of their own. The first half of this game was anything but a defensive battle, as both teams were able to fill it up on the offensive end. Luckily for Utah, they were able to grab the slight edge late, taking a 46-40 lead into halftime.
The beginning of the first half was highly competitive, as both teams exchanged buckets back and forth. Neither team could gain much of an edge, but a Deivon Smith 3-pointer gave Utah a 16-11 lead with 14:01 remaining in the half. UC Irvine was able to hang in against Utah, however, cutting the lead to just one point at the 10:25 mark. Shortly after UC Irvine cut the lead, a 7-0 run by the Utes, capped off by a Branden Carlson 3-pointer, pushed Utah ahead by eight. Despite the Utes having a comfortable lead, the Anteaters would not go away as they put together another run of their own to take a 28-27 lead at the 5:54 mark.
The remainder of the half saw Utah catch fire similar to the beginning of the game, as two Hunter Erickson 3-pointers and two from Gabe Madsen, including a deep pull-up at the first-half buzzer, helped Utah take a 46-40 advantage into halftime.
Madsen led the Utes in the first half, scoring 11 points, including three long-distance bombs. Another first-half masterclass was on full display for Carlson, as he put up nine points and grabbed six rebounds. Smith continued to score effectively and showcase his playmaking skills as he poured in seven points and dished out five assists. Erickson came off the bench and provided a spark as he scored eight points on 2-2 shooting from 3-point range.
Second Half
The first half saw some ups and downs for the Utes, but the game plan for head coach Craig Smith and his staff needed to stay the same if Utah wanted to survive the first round of the NIT. Both teams shot extremely well in the first half, and if Utah wanted to advance, they needed to continue their offensive dominance while forcing UC Irvine into contested shots on the defensive end.
Utah was able to do just that as they came out in the second half with a different energy defensively compared to half number one, forcing UC Irvine into turnovers and poor shot selection while pushing the pace on the offensive end. Despite only holding a six-point halftime lead, Utah was able to push on the gas pedal throughout the first 10 minutes as they took a 69-52 lead thanks to a Keba Keita layup at the 10:14 mark. The 23-12 run Utah was able to string together extended the lead to a commanding margin, but in a win-or-go-home game, UC Irvine didn’t go away quietly.
The Anteaters are a well-coached team with a lot of senior leadership, which caused some troubles for the Utes as they tried to close this one out. UC Irvine played extremely hard down the stretch at one point, cutting the Utah lead to just four points with 2:05 remaining. Fortunately for the Utes, the final 2:05 was perfectly executed, as they were able to knock down seven of their eight late-game free throws to eventually come away with an 84-75 win.
Utes Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Carlson led the way offensively for Utah, putting up a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Utah backcourt was exceptional in this one, as Madsen put up an all-around incredible game with 16 points, five assists and seven rebounds. Smith complemented Madsen very well, as he put up 13 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds. The bench unit was led by Erickson, who came in and scored 13 points of his own, knocking down three shots from 3-point range. Cole Bajema and Lawson Lovering were each able to score six points of their own to round out the majority of the Utah scoring attack.
What’s next for the Utes?
The Utes will get at least one more home game in the NIT as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on either Saturday or Sunday. Tipoff time is to be determined, but will be released in the next couple of days. Utah will have a chance to advance to the NIT quarterfinals with a win against a very solid Iowa team this upcoming weekend. Stay tuned for more information regarding the highly anticipated second-round matchup.
