3 keys in the Utah Utes’ 71-61 win over the No. 19 USC Trojans

Utah Utes guard Pelle Larsson (3) leaps up for an alley-oop dunk over USC Trojans guard Ethan Anderson (20) during a game at the Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

Utah snapped a four-game losing streak in impressive fashion, knocking off No. 19 USC 71-61 at the Huntsman Center on Saturday.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

• The Utes (10-11, 7-10 Pac-12), who saw Rylan Jones leave with an apparent shoulder injury after playing just two minutes, trailed by two at halftime. They quickly took control in the second half and led by as many as 13 points in earning their first win over a ranked team since Dec. 2019 against Kentucky. Utah shot 58.6% from the field in the second half — at one point it hit 11 of 12 in building its lead — and the Utes shot 48.2% for the game.
• Utah was much better beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 15 from 3-point range. Alfonso Plummer, who had a game-high tying 19 points, hit 5 of 7 3-pointers. USC (19-6, 13-5 Pac-12), meanwhile, made just 2 of 13 3-pointers and shot only 37.3% from the field, including 32.1% in the second half.
• Even with the Trojans leading several statistical categories — USC had a 41-30 rebounding edge and a 25-15 advantage in bench points — the Utes were more unselfish with the ball, finishing with a 19-8 edge in assists. Timmy Allen, who also had 15 points, led the way with eight assists.

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