TK's Career Night Helps Rescue Utes
Center Luke Nevill helped save the day for the Utes tonight, blocking a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds of regulation before scoring eight of his 23 points and grabbing five of his 14 rebounds in overtime of an 89-79 victory over Colorado State at Moby Arena.
But he might not have had the chance, if not for point guard Tyler Kepkay.
The senior point guard played the game of his life when the Utes really needed it, scoring 20 of his career-high 27 points in the second half to lead a comeback from a 10-point deficit and spare them the indignity of having their six-game winning streak and impressive NCAA Tournament resume blemished by the eighth-place team in the Mountain West Conference.
"I didn't really say, 'I need to do it,'" Kepkay said. "But you know, I knew that I had to put more energy into it, as well as everybody else, and just put as much energy into it as I could."
In a game the Utes looked for all the world ready to blow -- albeit against a fired-up opponent -- Kepkay steadied the ship. They trailed by 10 late in the first half before he scored his first points on a three-pointer, then pretty much took over in the second half. He scored six straight points early on, to pull the Utes within three, the added a couple of hard-driving lay-ups and an open bank shot as the Utes tried to get over the hump.
It wasn't until Kepkay buried another three-pointer with 6:39 left that the Utes finally grabbed the lead -- after pulling within two for the fifth time -- and his final three pushed them away from a tie game before the Rams came back and sent it into overtime. The only downside to his career game was missing an open jumper with about 19 seconds left in regulation that could have won it.
"The way they play defense, they really try to press you and get to the ball," he said. "And at times, when teams really try to 'overpress' you, it almost makes it easier to get in the lane and get closer to the basket. ... If you can just get past that first line of pressure without making a mistake, you usually have pretty good options."
Once Kepkay's heroics were finished, Nevill took over – swatting CSU's Marcus Walker with his potential game-winner and then erupting in the overtime to send the Utes to their seventh straight victory.
"They say you have to have some of these games when you're trying to win a championship," coach Jim Boylen said. "You have to have some of these games where you have to win it, and win it ugly. And I thought we did that."
His only real problem?
The Utes again stumbled out of the gate, and seemed scarcely into the game at all for way too long.
“I don't think my team totally understands yet that we're on the top of the Mountain West, and people are going to give us a great shot when we come in their building,” Boylen said. “Their energy to start the game was awesome. They were tougher than us to start the game. They were more physical than us to start the game, and it took us awhile to get going. But when we did, we were very good."
But he might not have had the chance, if not for point guard Tyler Kepkay.
The senior point guard played the game of his life when the Utes really needed it, scoring 20 of his career-high 27 points in the second half to lead a comeback from a 10-point deficit and spare them the indignity of having their six-game winning streak and impressive NCAA Tournament resume blemished by the eighth-place team in the Mountain West Conference.
"I didn't really say, 'I need to do it,'" Kepkay said. "But you know, I knew that I had to put more energy into it, as well as everybody else, and just put as much energy into it as I could."
In a game the Utes looked for all the world ready to blow -- albeit against a fired-up opponent -- Kepkay steadied the ship. They trailed by 10 late in the first half before he scored his first points on a three-pointer, then pretty much took over in the second half. He scored six straight points early on, to pull the Utes within three, the added a couple of hard-driving lay-ups and an open bank shot as the Utes tried to get over the hump.
It wasn't until Kepkay buried another three-pointer with 6:39 left that the Utes finally grabbed the lead -- after pulling within two for the fifth time -- and his final three pushed them away from a tie game before the Rams came back and sent it into overtime. The only downside to his career game was missing an open jumper with about 19 seconds left in regulation that could have won it.
"The way they play defense, they really try to press you and get to the ball," he said. "And at times, when teams really try to 'overpress' you, it almost makes it easier to get in the lane and get closer to the basket. ... If you can just get past that first line of pressure without making a mistake, you usually have pretty good options."
Once Kepkay's heroics were finished, Nevill took over – swatting CSU's Marcus Walker with his potential game-winner and then erupting in the overtime to send the Utes to their seventh straight victory.
"They say you have to have some of these games when you're trying to win a championship," coach Jim Boylen said. "You have to have some of these games where you have to win it, and win it ugly. And I thought we did that."
His only real problem?
The Utes again stumbled out of the gate, and seemed scarcely into the game at all for way too long.
“I don't think my team totally understands yet that we're on the top of the Mountain West, and people are going to give us a great shot when we come in their building,” Boylen said. “Their energy to start the game was awesome. They were tougher than us to start the game. They were more physical than us to start the game, and it took us awhile to get going. But when we did, we were very good."
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 10:14 PM |
1 Comments:
Somebody please explain to me why LSU is ranked and Utah is not.
I guess it's because everyone knows that the MWC can't touch the SEC in really any sport... oh, except football. And basketball. And gymnastics. But I'm sure they would totally whip us in cricket.
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