This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Portland, Ore • They had lost on turnovers and missed rebounds. Forgotten blockouts and uncontested jumpers.
After going 3-4 in their seven games before the NCAA Tournament, the Runnin' Utes heard their coaches' message: Do the little things, and win. Larry Krystkowiak saw a "different focus" in his players' eyes.
"You have to experience those losses and maybe feel some of that pain before you can really clamp down," he said. "It helps the coach validate those things."
On Saturday night, the refocused Utes took the court and used those lessons to grind out a 75-64 win over the Georgetown Hoyas and earn the biggest spoils of the season so far.
Utah (26-8) is in the Sweet 16.
As the Utes celebrated in the locker room with chicken wings and beaming smiles, the full force of that reality — one that Dallin Bachynski said he would've called laughable only three years ago — hadn't yet borne down on them.
"I knew we were due at the beginning of the season," Brandon Taylor said. "I just didn't know how the feeling would be. But I definitely envisioned it. I seen it."
It's Utah's first trip to the regional semifinals since 2005, in the days of Andrew Bogut. They'll head to Houston to face either Duke or San Diego State next Thursday, attempting to extend the program's renaissance season a little further.
The vision was realized as Utah overcame a lethargic start, down 11 points in the first half, and rallied thanks to the players who rebuilt what was a proud yet fading program back into a March Madness challenger.
Taylor was the front-and-center performer, nailing four 3-pointers while scoring 14 points and putting Hoyas star D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera on lockdown until the very end of the night. Upperclassmen led the way — Delon Wright had 12, Dakarai Tucker had 11, and Jordan Loveridge had 10.
That also included Bachynski, who sat Thursday with a bum ankle. The Canadian senior chipped in 9 points and 8 rebounds when star freshman Jakob Poeltl was in foul trouble, and he played with the intensity of a guy who wants to play a few more games in his career.
"That's just the beauty of our team," said Poeltl, who scored 12 himself. "It doesn't really matter who is out there playing. I'm just really glad we got the win tonight."
After leading for only 52 seconds in an uneven first half, Utah broke a 32-all tie at halftime with four 3-pointers, and from there kept a step ahead of the Hoyas. Utah's second-half efficiency was hard to top: The team was 11 for 17, including 5 for 8 from on 3-pointers that Krystkowiak said "made the game pretty darn easy."
Leading by a few points late in the game, Utah's defense coaxed the Hoyas to miss 7 of their last 9 attempts from the field, and hit critical free throws down the stretch to seal sweetness. Utah was 23 for 32 from the line in the game.
The Utes came out less than crisp after tip-off against the Hoyas. While Poeltl and Reyes double-teamed big-bodied Josh Smith down low, Georgetown lit up the perimeter to make 6 of their first 9 shots from long range.
Riding the heat streak, Georgetown led by as much as 11 points while scoring 23 points in the first 7:17 of the game.
For the rest of the half, Utah tightened up its half-court defense and went on a 14-2 run to tie up the game, aided by Brandon Taylor's 3-point shooting, and managed to battle for the deadlock at halftime.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah 75, Georgetown 64
UTAH (26-8)
Taylor 4-9 2-4 14, Reyes 2-2 0-0 4, Loveridge 3-4 2-2 10, Poeltl 5-6 2-3 12, D. Wright 2-7 8-10 12, Chapman 0-0 0-0 0, I. Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Tucker 3-5 4-4 11, Bachynski 2-3 5-9 9, Kuzma 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 22-38 23-32 75.
GEORGETOWN (22-11)
Peak 7-8 1-1 18, Smith-Rivera 6-15 0-0 12, Copeland 4-12 2-2 14, Smith 3-6 2-3 8, Trawick 3-7 2-3 10, Campbell 0-1 0-0 0, Hopkins 1-3 0-0 2, White 0-2 0-0 0, Bowen 0-1 0-0 0, Hayes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-55 7-9 64.
Halftime—Tied 32-32. 3-Point Goals—Utah 8-14 (Taylor 4-8, Loveridge 2-3, Kuzma 1-1, Tucker 1-2), Georgetown 9-25 (Copeland 4-8, Peak 3-4, Trawick 2-4, Bowen 0-1, White 0-1, Smith-Rivera 0-7). Fouled Out—Trawick. Rebounds—Utah 25 (Bachynski 8), Georgetown 27 (Smith 6). Assists—Utah 12 (Taylor, D. Wright 5), Georgetown 9 (Smith-Rivera 6). Total Fouls—Utah 14, Georgetown 24. A—17,370.