x
Breaking News
More () »

Cougars comeback falls short against Utah 77-70

Justin Bibbins scored 24 points, Tyler Rawson added 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to help Utah beat Washington State 77-70 on Saturday night.
Jan 21, 2018; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Ernie Kent reacts in the first half against the Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Justin Bibbins scored 24 points, Tyler Rawson added 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to help Utah beat Washington State 77-70 on Saturday night.

Utah (17-9, 9-6 Pac-12) used a 17-0 run - as the Cougars were scoreless for six-plus minutes - to make it 33-13 with nearly six minutes left in the first half before taking a 10-point lead into the break.

Tyler Rawson, who hit six 3s and scored 22 points for the Utes in their last meeting with Washington State (10-16, 2-12 Pac-12), made 3 of 4 from 3-point range, scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half.

The Utes scored the first seven second-half points Utah held on from there.

WSU threatened several times, cutting its deficit to four with 2:13 to play after Viont'e Daniels hit back-to-back 3's in a 30-second span. Bibbins answered with an acrobatic jumper in the lane and, after Daniels made a layup, hit two free throws to make it 76-70 with 14 seconds left.

Gabe Bealer scored 18 points on a career-high tying six 3s for Utah.

Malachi Flynn, who had a career-best 30 points in WSU's win over Colorado on Thursday, scored 20 with four steals against the Utes. Robert Franks added 18 points with seven rebounds and Viont'e Daniels scored 14, hitting 4 of 8 from behind the arc.

BIG PICTURE

Utah: The Utes have won four in a row and will head back home to play a tough UCLA team. Utah is currently fourth in the conference standings with three regular-season games to go. The top four teams get a first-round bye in Pac-12 Tournament.

Washington State: After a comeback win against Colorado, the Cougars suffered their 16th loss in the last 20 games. WSU started the season 6-0, including a win over San Diego State in the Wooden Legacy championship.

Up next:

Utah: The Utes play UCLA at home next Thursday.

Washington State: The Cougars go for a season sweep over California, in Berkeley, on Thursday.

Before You Leave, Check This Out