Branden Carlson scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Utah to a 91-70 victory over UTSA on Tuesday night at Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
Marco Anthony contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Gabe Madsen also scored 16 to help the Utes (9-2) earn their fifth straight victory.
Carlson made 10 of 14 shots to lift the Utes to 52 percent shooting. UTSA shot 38 percent.
Japhet Medor had a big game for the Roadrunners (5-5), scoring 23 points, but the visitors remained winless on the road in three attempts this season.
Utah lost a double-digit lead in the first half and found itself trailing by six. But the Utes regained the lead by halftime, 39-34, and then dominated the second half.
The Utes took advantage of a UTSA turnover and started a second-half scoring blitz with a dunk by Carlson. Utah continued to push the pace, using an 11-1 run to take a 50-35 lead.
By the first media timeout, UTSA had scored just three points and trailed by 20 with 14:19 remaining.
Utah took a 71-45 lead after outscoring UTSA 32-11 to open the second half and later went ahead by 28.
With UTSA trailing 18-6, Medor ignited a 22-4 surge with two free throws. Almost five minutes later, he capped that wave of momentum with a four-point play — a 3-pointer and free throw — and a layup for a 28-22 Roadrunners lead.
Utah responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead and never looked back after taking a five-point lead into the locker room.
Utah’s Rollie Worster dished out nine assists, grabbed six rebounds and scored seven points, while Ben Carlson hauled in eight boards.
–Field Level Media