Utah
Arizona Wildcats win triple-overtime thriller against Utah
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Pelle Larsson had 27 points and eight assists to lead No. 8 Arizona to a 105-99 victory over Utah in triple overtime Thursday night.
Caleb Love added 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the Wildcats (18-5, 9-3 Pac-12) earn their third road win in conference play. Keshad Johnson chipped in with 17 points and Kylan Boswell added 16. Oumar Ballo grabbed 16 rebounds to go with 10 points.
Branden Carlson led Utah with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Keba Keita had 18 points and Gabe Madsen added 17. Deivon Smith finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Utes.
Utah (15-8, 6-6) could not overcome a 10-of-21 performance from the free-throw line after rallying from a double-digit deficit.
Arizona was outrebounded 57-53 but outscored Utah 52-48 in the paint.
Arizona never trailed through the final two overtime periods, but the Wildcats did not pull away for good until Ballo threw down a dunk to ignite a 9-0 run that put the Wildcats up 102-93 with 40 seconds left.
Trailing by 16 early in the second half, Utah erased the deficit behind hot shooting from Madsen and Carlson. The duo combined for 15 baskets and 38 points after halftime.
Madsen made a 3-pointer and layup to spark an 11-0 run that helped Utah tie it at 63. The Utes missed four potential go-ahead baskets, but Arizona missed seven straight shots and went six minutes without a bucket. The prolonged drought allowed Utah to finally take a 68-67 lead on Carlson’s jumper.
The Wildcats regained the lead on a layup from Larsson on the ensuing possession and stayed in front until Madsen knocked down a transition 3 with 19.4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
After Carlson gave Utah the lead on a layup with 1:18 left in the first overtime, Larsson tied it again on a jumper in the final minute to force another extra session.
Arizona never trailed in the second overtime, but Larsson missed a pair of potential go-ahead free throws with 52 seconds left in the extra session to open the door for a third overtime.
Utah went ice cold on offense during the first half, opening the door for Arizona to surge in front. The Wildcats didn’t waste the opportunity.
Arizona built a 41-25 halftime lead when Utah made one basket over the final six minutes of the first half. The Utes missed nine shots and four free throws during that stretch. The Wildcats closed the half on a 14-4 run, punctuated by a layup from Love.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona made Utah work hard for shots in the first half but struggled to keep the Utes from getting the looks they wanted after halftime.
Utah struggled with numerous wasted possessions over the first 20 minutes, rushing shots and committing careless turnovers. Then, the offense roared to life after halftime.
UP NEXT
Arizona visits Colorado on Saturday.