Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak pushed his team to play tougher after a first half in which they squandered much of a 12-point lead and couldn’t keep Texas Tech off the boards. Below is everything you need to know about the game, including the Utah vs. Texas Tech online live stream, TV broadcast information, game notes and prediction. The Utes are led by a talented trio of forwards this season in sophomore Jakob Poeltl, sophomore Kyle Kuzma, and senior Jordan Loveridge, all of whom have been phenomenally productive over Utah’s two wins to open their season. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 103 in points allowed per game last season, which makes their 77-73 win over High Point all the more impressive. Mississippi State allowed 59 first half points, which made the game a blowout. Zach Smith had a team-high eight rebounds.
Advertisement
The 2nd half was a back and forth battle until Mississippi State was able to regain its footing late in the game, slowly inching their way back in front to a 68-64 lead with 5:19 left. Utah (3-0) will play Miami in a semifinal game on Friday. Things were similar in the second half as the Red Raiders closed on the deficit after the Utes had raced out to a 42-33 lead.
Toddrick Gotcher piled up 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals to give Texas Tech a quartet of players with double digit scoring performances.
Tech would draw within six of the Utes with 2:49 left on a Keenan Evans jumper to make it 66-60, but the cold three-point shooting would doom the Red Raiders. The Canes couldn’t necessarily slow down the Utes’ 3-point barrage, but they won a ton of extra possessions by forcing 16 turnovers and grabbing 10 offensive rebounds.
Mississippi State will play in Friday’s consolation round against the Utah-Texas Tech loser. Devaugntah Williams led Texas Tech with 13 points in the game. After starting the first two games, the 6-foot-11 Stone came off the bench to go 6-for-7 from the floor with five rebounds.
Utah shot 38 percent, including just 6 of 24 from 3-point range, but finished with a 45-38 rebounding advantage and scored 20 second-chance points.
Advertisement
After a day off, Texas Tech wraps up the Puerto Rico Tipoff versus Minnesota in Sunday’s fifth-place game at 1:30 p.m. CT televised by ESPNU and the Watch ESPN app. Before arriving at Tech, Smith served as Minnesota’s head coach from 2007-13.
