SALT LAKE CITY — Branden Carlson scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Utah to a 77-63 victory over Washington State on Thursday night to end a three-game losing streak.
Utah (13-7, 6-3 Pac-12) never trailed and held a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Mouhamed Gueye scored five points and Justin Powell hit a three-pointer during an 8-2 surge to get Washington State within 62-56 with 5:30 to play. Powell’s layup about a minute later kept it a six-point deficit for the Cougars before the Utes closed with a 13-5 run.
Carlson made 11 of 12 field goals with three three-pointers and made all three of his free-throw attempts. Rollie Worster added 14 points and Gabe Madsen had 12 points from four threes for Utah. Worster also had seven of the Utes’ 20 assists.
Gueye scored 20 points for Washington State (9-11, 4-5). Jabe Mullins had nine of his 11 points in the first half and Powell finished with 10. The Cougars’ leading scorer, TJ Bamba, missed his third straight game with a hand injury.
Washington State collected its first win at Utah last season and is 1-19 on the road against the Utes and Colorado since the pair joined the Pac-12 in 2011.
Utah hosts Washington on Saturday. Washington State plays at Colorado on Sunday.
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