SALT LAKE CITY — Jarred DuBois scored a season-best 20 points and Glen Dean added 13 to lead Utah over Central Michigan 67-51 Friday evening at the Huntsman Center.
Utah takes on Wright State at 7:30 p.m. to close out the holiday tournament.
DuBois shook off a shooting slump to connect on 5 of 7 field goals, including his first two 3-pointers of the season. The senior transfer from Loyola Marymount had five assists and five rebounds without a turnover.
Derrick Richardson scored 10 points and was the only one in double figures for the Chippewas as Utah’s pressure defense limited open looks.
The Chippewas made two of their first three attempts, both 3-pointers, but then missed 17 consecutive shots as Utah opened a 20-8 lead. Central Michigan never drew within 10 points after Richard’s 3-pointer made it 29-21 for Utah late in the first half.
Leading scorer Kyle Randall made just 1-of-11 shots and Utah’s height and tenacity forced more than half of Central Michigan’s shots to come from behind the arc.
In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Utes outscored the Chippewas 32-16 in the paint and didn’t allow a single fast break point all game.
Utah out-rebounded Central Michigan 41-32 but allowed 12 offensive boards, mostly due to the long caroms off the Chippewas’ 31 3-point attempts.
Only two of the Utes’ rotation played for the team last year and rely heavily on Dean, who transferred from Eastern Washington, and DuBois to run their offense and both played error-free against the Chippewas full-court press.
DuBois, who already graduated from LMU and had one year of eligibility remaining, was shooting just 32 percent and didn’t start the Utes’ last game.
The teams are part of a four-team Utah Thanksgiving tournament that culminated on Saturday. But his steady ball handling and defense put Utah up early and the Utes cruised the rest of the way.
• SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE, 75, UTAH VALLEY 50: At Santa Clara, Calif., Torrey Craig and Adrian Rodgers scored 19 points each to lead South Carolina-Upstate to a win over Utah Valley in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.
Craig also had 11 rebounds.
Ricardo Glenn had 14 points for the Spartans, who shot 52.6 percent from the field. Ty Greene added 12 points.
South Carolina-Upstate (2-4) led 44-24 at halftime.
Antoine Hosley had 14 points for the Wolverines (3-4). Ben Aird had nine points, nine rebounds.
The Wolverines were 19 of 48 from the field (39.6 percent).
Top 25
NEW YORK — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points before he left late in the game after he was kneed in the head, and No. 4 Michigan (5-0) beat Kansas State 71-57 on Friday night to win the NIT Season Tipoff.
Glenn Robinson III had 12 rebounds, and Trey Burke and Jon Horford had 10 points each for the Wolverines.
Rodney McGruder scored 16 points and had seven rebounds, and Angel Rodriguez scored 10 points for Kansas State (5-1).
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 91, UMKC 45
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Thomas scored 15 of his 21 points as No. 3 Ohio State coasted to a huge first-half lead in a victory against overmatched Missouri-Kansas.
Lenzelle Smith Jr. added 13 points and LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson had 11 apiece as Ohio State (4-0) experimented with subs for almost the entire second half.
NO. 7 FLORIDA 79, UCF 66
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Kenny Boynton scored a season-high 24 points, Scottie Wilbekin added a career-best 17 and No. 7 Florida beat UCF.
The Gators (5-0) overcame a sluggish start, dominated the paint and pressed the Knights (3-2) into a bevy of turnovers.
MINNESOTA 84, NO. 19 MEMPHIS 75
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Andre Hollins scored a career-high 41 points to lead Minnesota (5-1) to a victory over No. 19 Memphis in the consolation semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The sophomore guard scored 24 points in the first half — one off his career high entering the game — and he closed strong.
Comments