|
 The Utes (26-7) will face regular-season champion Oregon (27-6) on
Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern time in the title game at the MGM Grand
Garden Arena.
"It's been a goal of ours to try to play in that (championship)
game," said Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak, whose team is on a
nine-game winning streak, the longest of his tenure since the
2011-12 season.
"I think we've taken a step forward with our program, but with
Oregon, there is a reason they finished first. They have an awful
lot of firepower."
Utah has some talent of its own, including All-Pac-12 center Jakob
Poeltl, who scored five of his game-high 29 points in overtime, and
senior guard Jordan Loveridge, who made two free throws with 5.8
seconds left in overtime to secure the victory.
The Golden Bears (23-10) were led by 26 points from guard Tyrone
Wallace, who thrived on the opportunity of playing the Utes after
missing Cal's 73-64 loss on Jan. 27 at Salt Lake City because of a
broken bone in his right wrist.
Wallace was his team's only scorer in double figures until 3:57 left
in regulation, when guard Jordan Mathews made a layup, giving him 11
points. Utah's defense often trapped Mathews and guard Jabari Bird,
allowing Mathews more scoring opportunities.
"I think they were worried about Jabari and Jordan making shots, and
like I've said before, whenever teams have to worry about them, it
makes my job easier," said Wallace, who made 10 of 21 shots from the
field. "I played one on one most of the game, got good looks and
made shots."
Bird, who finished with 13 points, was part of a wild sequence at
the end of regulation. Bird converted a three-point play with 4.5
seconds left to give the Golden Bears a 70-68 lead. Utah guard
Lorenzo Bonam received a pass on the wing and drove to the basket,
converting the layup at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
"Basically, I mean, (Krystkowiak) said to go to the basket, so I
just went to the basket," said Bonam, who averaged 9.8 points
entering the game but finished with 18.
Bonam's jump shot with 3:08 left in overtime put Utah ahead 75-71.
He made one free throw but missed the second with 55 seconds
remaining, Utah clinging to a 78-73 lead.
[to top of second column] |
Poeltl grabbed a defensive rebound but turned the ball over, leading
to a layup by California forward Ivan Rabb with 37 seconds left.
After Utah forward Kyle Kuzma made a basket but could not convert
the three-point play by missing the free throw, Wallace made a
3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left to cut the lead to 80-78.
Loveridge's clinching free throws followed.
"I got into a rhythm and just made shots, but we came up short,"
Wallace said. "We played well and that's something to build on."
Poeltl also finished with 11 rebounds and attempted the most free
throws in the game (12), making nine. His physical style of play
overwhelmed Cal center Kameron Rooks, who fouled out while
unsuccessfully trying to defend him.
Poeltl also shot 10 of 18 from the field after a 3-of-7 performance
in the first half.
"They tried to take away my left shoulder, tried to force me to take
some left-handed hooks," Poeltl said. "But what I did, I just kept
believing in myself."
NOTES: All the higher-seeded teams in the Pac-12 tournament have
emerged victorious, posting a 10-0 record. ... Utah came into the
game on a nine-game winning streak, the longest in the program since
the 2008-09 season. ... Cal entered the game ranked second
nationally in two-point percentage defense at 40.8 percent. Utah
made 18 of 37 shots (48.6 percent) inside the arc. The Bears were
No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing only 66.6 points
per game. ... The Golden Bears are only two blocks shy of matching
their school record of 161 blocked shots. They had three against
Utah. ... Utah had 22 assists in the win over USC on Thursday,
marking the eighth time this season the Utes have recorded at least
20 assists. They had only eight assists against Cal.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
