The lowdown: Jakob Poeltl was the story of the first half for Utah, as the Austrian big man had 16 points to lead all scorers. USC struggled from the field and with turnovers, leading to a 40-30 halftime deficit following a Katin Reinhardt turnaround three-pointer at the buzzer.
In the second half, USC responded to an early Utah flurry that saw the Utes extend their lead to a many as 16 points with. The Trojans had a 12-3 run, including a pair of three-point shots by Julian Jacobs, and a monster two-hand slam by Chimezie Metu to ignite the Galen Center crowd.