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Seattle • At halftime, Larry Krystkowiak heard a sound he couldn't quite recognize.
Then he saw junior Kyle Kuzma emerge from the bathroom, having tossed up his pregame meal.
"I've never heard anyone throw up that violently," Krystkowiak said. "I can't believe he played. It blew me away."
Someone had to.
Utah's junior and most tenured player gave another strong performance in a season full of them, racking up 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. It wasn't the most efficient night — Kuzma needed 21 shots — but it was what the Utes needed at the right time.
And Utah needed the 6-foot-9 forward more than ever this week, with David Collette missing two games with concussion symptoms and only two other rotation players, Jayce Johnson and Tyler Rawson, healthy and ready to go.
He threw up twice on Saturday night — once at halftime and then again after the game — and he spent a good deal of timeouts looking pale. But he couldn't take a night off, and he knew it.
"Just gotta keep going," he said. "Still gotta play."
The 22-point night was the third-most he's scored this season. The 15 rebounds were tied for the second-most he's grabbed in a game as well.
While Kuzma missed "bunnies" at the rim, his timing was impeccable: As Washington and Markelle Fultz threatened, he made his last three shots in the last six minutes. All three were off offensive rebounds (he had five on the night).
He had some help. Johnson had eight rebounds to help against bigs Noah Dickerson and Matthew Atewe. Rawson finished with four rebounds and seven points on 3 for 6 shooting.
But with 34 minutes on Saturday, Kuzma managed to last the evening and close strong, even if his body didn't quite hold out the same way.
Krystkowiak said it was the first he had heard of how serious Kuzma's sickness was, even though the junior himself said he had been sick since before the Washington State game on Wednesday.
"I'm not sure I would've played based on what I saw from Kuz," Krystkowiak said. "It's a credit to these guys. They want to be out there."
Twitter: @kylegoon