It looked hopeless, especially after a horrid first half. Yet the Utes came back, scored 54 second half points and defeated the Rams 82-77. It was Utah's 2nd straight win and pulls the Utes into 5th place in the conference, a dramatic increase considering just a week ago this team was floundering toward the bottom. Colorado State, once perched at the top of the conference, has now lost four straight.
Luke Nevill was the game's leading scorer with 18 points, while Johnnie Bryant added 17. Shaun Green, who had been in a slump over the past few games, poured it on in the second half and ended the game with 15 points on 6-7 shooting, including a perfect 2 for 2 behind the arc. The Utes also shot a blistering 57% from the perimeter and kept the Rams to a minimal 30% from that range. On the night the Utes shot 54% from the field, while the Rams shot an impressive 63%. Yet it wasn't enough, as Colorado State couldn't build on its half time lead and the Utes controlled the flow for most of the second half, pulling away late and then holding on for the win.
Colorado State had won four straight against the Utes, including a victory in Salt Lake City last season and a dominate home win in Fort Collins this season. The Utes will now travel to Colorado Springs for a difficult game against Air Force, who lost to San Diego State Tuesday night. The Utes defeated the Falcons earlier in the year, though doing so on the road will prove to be a difficult task for a Utah team that has only one road win all season.
I'll have more on the game tomorrow, but it was good to see the team win. Hopefully they can build on it, but I'm guessing that won't happen with how fickle they've been over the season.