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Show UTES DEFEAT COUGARS,65-61 THANKS FOR THE WIN DELON WRIGHT BY GRIFFIN ADAMS /SPORTS EDITOR PHOTO BY CHRIS SAMUELS W ell, there was definitely a rivalry feel in the Marriott Center when the No. 13 Runnin' Utes visited BYU on Wednesday night. The football teams may be taking a brief hiatus from the gridiron, but the basketball squads were going at it on the hardwood in Provo. Thanks to 16 points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks and steals from Delon Wright, Utah got by a resilient Cougar lineup and a roaring crowd to get to its seventh win of the season, 65-61. "It was fantastic. It was a great feeling;' said head coach Larry Krystkowiak. "This rivalry means a lot to a lot of people ... It's a heck of a rivalry, and it's fun to be a part of After the tip, the Utes got off to the quick start. With a lead as big as 13 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Utah had complete control early on. But later in the half, BYU head coach Dave Rose decided to switch his defense to 3-2 zone, with three defenders on the perimeter and two defenders down low. The change proved to be effective as the Utes began to look stagnant on offense. With the Cougars playing good defense, their offense began to follow suit. With offensive numbers that rank tops in the nation, the Utes began to look flustered on defense as well. "They're a great offensive team," Wright said. "We had to limit their points. We had runs, and they had runs:' Thanks to the home crowd getting behind its defensive Cougars, BYU staged a comeback that saw it take the lead heading into halftime, 31-30. The second half saw a lot of chippy, aggressive play from both sides as the teams were trading baskets to start off. Like the first, Utah got off to a quicker start than the Cougars, taking another double-digit lead in the second half. But Rose would return to the funky zone, and BYU slowly crept back into the game. The Cougars even had their biggest lead of the game in the second half with four. With the clock winding down, the game was going to end with whoever got the most possessions down the stretch. A problem that the Utes have seen in the past came back into play as the clock kept on running — free throws. Krystkowiak mentioned earlier in the week how his team was working on free throw shooting to prepare for this game, but the Utes might need a little more practice. There were numerous times toward the end where Utah could have sealed the game, but kept BYU in it with its missed free throws. In the end, Dallyn Bachynski and the rest of the Utes hit just enough free throws and played solid defense to hold on to get the win down south. "That's why we subbed him in:' Krystkowiak said. "Jakob [Poeltl] was struggling a bit from the line, and we were hoping we could get some stops ... when he gets an opportunity to play, he's laying it all on the line for his teammates." The Cougars were led by star guard Tyler Haws, who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, and Kyle Collinsworth, who registered 17 points, 9 rebounds and five assists. Utah will stay on the road when it next competes against Kansas on Saturday, adding to the Utes' difficult non-conference stretch. "This stretch was one of those that when we went into it, it looked a lot better on paper a few months ago than it does actually living in it," Krystkowiak said. g.adams@chronicle.utah.edu @GriffDoug 6 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014 } BY RYAN MILLER /ASST. SPORTS EDITOR PHOTO BY CHRIS SAMUELS n the past week Utah center Jakob Poeltl has got the star treatment. He's skyrocketed up draft boards, national pundits have fawned over him and scouts have flocked to see him play. Poeltl is undoubtedly a star on the rise, but Wednesday should have reminded the Utah fan base who the Utes' most important player is. Sure, Poeltl is the new sheriff in town, but it was because of Delon Wright that Utah left Provo with a 65-61 victory over BYU. In his first season with Utah, Wright busted on the scene and the local media took notice. But unlike Poeltl's recent rise to fame, Wright sat pretty much unnoticed on the national landscape. Sure, a few would throw his name out as a potential NBA player, and some would mention him, mostly in passing, as one of the nation's standouts. But Wright played through his junior year, putting up ridiculous numbers, mostly in obscurity along the Wasatch Front. With Poeltl's star rising, Wright took the opportunity against the Cougars to remind everyone just how good he really is. The Utah guard put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals to lead the Utes to victory, displaying his all-around game that has become the norm. But last night, Wright added some extra sizzle. On one memorable play in the second half, Wright stole the ball and raced down the court, chased by BYU's Anson Winder. Winder appeared to have beat Wright to the basket, but as Winder attempted to swipe the ball, the Utah guard wrapped the ball around his back, causing Winder to fly right by, and Wright finished with a two-handed flush. Save that one for the highlight reel, Delon. Everyone already knew the effect that Wright could have on a game — you don't make an All-Pac-12 first team for nothing. But Wednesday showed once again how essential he is to the Utes' success. And it went far beyond just one awesome play. Wright sets the tone for Utah. If he plays hard on defense, his team follows suit. If he's aggressive on offense, then his teammates cut and set screens. Wednesday's contest was a game of runs, and the catalyst for many of Utah's was Wright. Be it a steal, a block or a nifty move to the hoop, Wright sparked the Utes on both ends of the floor. Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak doesn't often give Wright much rest, and there is good reason. With the Utes seemingly in control in the first half against BYU, Krystkowiak sat Wright for a short breather. After a turnover and a botched defensive possession, the Utah head coach turned and motioned for Wright. He's just too important to sit. So give Poeltl the praise, because frankly, Wright is probably used to being ignored. But the simple truth is that there is no way Utah snaps its losing streak in Provo without Wright. And to take it further, there is no way the Utes would be ranked, or be talked about as a challenger for the Pac-12 crown without their star guard. Utah hasn't won in Provo since 2005, and many teams have similar losing skids in the Marriott Center. It's a tough place to play, and it takes something special to escape with a victory. Delon Wright is that something. Let's try to remember that. r.miller@chronicle.utah.edu @ryanjmiller 7 |