INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Runnin' Utes put up a good fight for a good portion of the semi-final game of the National Invitation Tournament, but they were unable to keep up once the momentum began to swing in Indiana State's favor.
The Utah men's basketball team made it to the Final Four of the NIT after beating UC Irvine, Iowa and Virginia Commonwealth University.
In Tuesday night's semi-final, the Utes and Sycamores battled back and forth throughout the first half and first few minutes of the second half, with the lead changing hands multiple times. The game was tied 44-44 at halftime.
But with 15 minutes left in the game, ISU kept the lead and began to extend it, with Utah trying to catch up. With seven minutes left, they led by double-digits. They held onto the momentum until the final buzzer with the final score of 100 to 90.
The Sycamores will face either the winner of Seton Hall vs. Georgia in the tournament final.
Utah put up an impressive 3-point shooting game at 58.6 percent (17/29), but ISU outperformed them in most other areas.
The leading stat-maker for the Utes was guard Deivon Smith with 28 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds. Center Branden Carlson scored 17, along with 6 rebounds and 1 assist.
The Utes ended their 2023-2024 campaign with a 22-15 record. It was their final season in the Pac-12 before the school joins the Big 12 this upcoming fall.
