WSU

Utah beats Washington State 88-47; 11th straight loss for Cougs

Feb 14, 2016, 4:08 PM | Updated: 4:24 pm

Jakob Poeltl’s 25 points led Utah to a lopsided 88-47 victory over reeling WSU on Sunday. (AP...

Jakob Poeltl's 25 points led Utah to a lopsided 88-47 victory over reeling WSU on Sunday. (AP)

(AP)


              Washington State guard Ike Iroegbu, center, shoots as Utah's Kyle Kuzma (35) and Isaiah Wright (1) defend during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Washington State head coach Ernie Kent shouts to his team during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game against Utah Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Washington State guard Que Johnson (32) shoots as Utah forward Jordan Loveridge (21) defends during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Utah forward Brekkott Chapman (0) celebrates as he runs up court after scoring a three-pointer against Washington State during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak shouts to his team during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Washington State center Valentine Izundu (45) fouls Utah forward Kyle Kuzma (35) during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Utah forward Jakob Poeltl (42) catches a pass as Washington State guard Que Johnson (32) defends during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
            
              Utah forward Jakob Poeltl (42) goes to the basket for a dunk during the second half in an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

By KAREEM COPELAND

AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Jakob Poeltl scored 25 as Utah faced little resistance in a 88-47 victory over Washington State on Sunday.

The Utes (19-7, 8-5) remain in striking distance for the Pac-12 regular-season title with the win.

The Cougars (9-16, 1-12) were never competitive after the first five minutes. The Utes went on a 17-3 run that included 14 from Poeltl to take a 21-9 lead. Another 17-5 stretch, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Jordan Loveridge pushed the lead to 40-21 at halftime.

Things didn’t get better for the Cougars after the half and they never found an answer for Poeltl. The 7-footer added seven more points during a 13-0 run that gave Utah a 55-24 lead. Poeltl put an exclamation mark on the spurt with a break-away, one-handed tomahawk dunk.

Poeltl shot 11 for 14 from the field and had 10 rebounds. Loveridge finished with 14 and Brekkott Chapman scored a season-high 12.

Que Johnson scored a WSU-high 13 points as the Cougars shot a season-low 30.6 percent from the field.

TIP-INS

Washington State: The Cougars entered the game ranked No. 189 in the RPI. … The last time Washington State won at Utah was Dec. 14, 1946. … The Cougars have lost 11 consecutive games, including eight by double figures. … Josh Hawkinson entered the game averaging a team-high 16.0 points and 11.1 rebounds. He finished with four points and eight rebounds.

Utah: The Utes scored 24 points in the paint in a first half that Washington State scored 21 total. … The Utes entered the game with the No. 16 RPI in the nation.

SLOPPY START

The two teams combined for seven turnovers in the first six minutes of the game and had 16 at halftime. The Cougars accounted for 11 of those after entering the game averaging 14.4 turnovers per game. They finished with 20.

HOT IN HERE

The Utes found their shooting touch for the second consecutive game. Utah shot a season-high 67.3 percent from the field on Wednesday and 53.2 percent on Sunday. They had shot 54.7 percent from the field with 5:51 remaining when most of the starters sat down.

UP NEXT

The Cougars host Stanford on Thursday.

The Utes travel to face UCLA on Thursday.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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