Runnin' Utes Beat Oregon State 47-37 in Corvallis

The No. 9-ranked Runnin' Utes stepped onto Oregon State's floor and pushed the home team around like Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak used to do to former Montana teammate and Beavers' head coach Wayne Tinkle. Utah stayed tied for the conference lead with a 47-37 road win over the Beavers, ending their home court winning streak at 14 games.

This game was tight through the first half, ending in an unbelievable 16-14 score. Depth has been a recurring theme for the Utes this season, and, in this game, it was no different. In the first half, Utah freshman forward Brekkott Chapman led the Utes with 7 points, including a three-pointer.

In the second half, reserve guard/forward Dakarai Tucker got things going, hitting threes and driving to the rim. In the span of just one minute and thirty seconds, Tucker pushed a tight game into the win column, scoring nine points, including two triples and an old fashioned three-point play to extend Utah's lead to seven points. Oregon State never got closer than six for the rest of the game.

Tucker has been working on using the threat of his three-point shot to open driving lanes with a pump fake. Against Oregon State, the junior wing was driving and finger rolling like George Gervin. The next minute, he'd pull up from deep and drill a dagger. Tucker finished with 11 points to led the team, one rebound, and one assist.

Once Tucker opened up the basket for the team, junior forward Jordan Loveridge and junior point guard Brandon Taylor started raining threes, hitting three between them and pushing the lead out to double figures. Loveridge ended the night with eight points and two rebounds, while Taylor finished with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Delon Wright wasn't spectacular in either half, with the exception of a 30-second stretch at the start of the second period. But, as Wright is known to do, he was just... everywhere. Wright finished with his usual do-everything stat line of nine points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a nasty volleyball spike of a blocked shot.

Oregon State is second in the league in scoring defense, and held Utah 10 points under even their average of 57.5 points per game, but the Beavers had difficulty scoring on the Utes defense (which ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 56.2). OSU averaged just 61.6 points per game, and that average will drop considerably after scoring just 37 against Utah. The Runnin' Utes, on the other hand, were able to survive both a low-scoring game, which has bitten them in the behind this season, as well as a road game in a terrifically difficult place to play. In fact, while no one had beaten the Beavers on the road this season, Utah hadn't beaten Oregon State in Corvallis since December of 1949.

The hard-fought victory in Corvallis pushes the No. 9 Runnin' Utes record to 21-4 overall, matching last season's win total, and 11-2 in the Pac-12. Utah keeps pace with Arizona, who thrashed USC in the McKale Center, for first place in the conference. If the Utes can come away from Eugene, Ore. with another win, it sets up the showdown in Salt Lake City for the conference crown, with just two road games in Washington remaining.

Next up for the Utes is a fast-paced road game against Oregon at 1 p.m. MT on Sunday. The Ducks will play a completely different style of basketball, and the Utes defense and ability to get back in transition will be at a premium in what figures to be a high-scoring affair.

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Delon Wright Named Finalist for Bob Cousy Award:

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 17 watch list finalists for the 2015 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross. Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its twelfth year recognizes the top point guards in men's college basketball. The original watch list of 35 candidates was narrowed down to the below list of 17 by a national committee.

"The 17 athletes on this list represent the most dedicated and skillful point guards in college basketball," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "They exhibit many of the characteristics that made Mr. Cousy such a successful player and we are pleased to be recognizing them for their accomplishments as well as to thank College of the Holy Cross for their sponsorship support."

Bob Cousy played for Holy Cross from 1946-1950 winning an NCAA Championship in 1947. He was named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1950. His success continued at the professional level as a six-time NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1963), NBA Most Valuable Player (1957) and 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63). In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team