Branden Carlson scored 12 points and collected 13 rebounds to lead Utah to a 61-46 victory over Cal on Sunday in Salt Lake City.
Lazar Stefanovic finished with game highs of 15 points and six assists for the Utes. Ben Carlson added 11 points and Jaxon Brenchley chipped in a season-high 10 points.
Utah (16-9, 9-5 Pac-12) snapped a two-game losing streak. The Utes shot just 36.8 percent from the field but only committed seven turnovers.
Lars Thiemann tallied a team-high 12 points for Cal. Kuany Kuany scored 11 points and collected seven rebounds to lead the Golden Bears.
Cal (3-20, 2-10 Pac-12) lost its seventh straight game. The Golden Bears shot just 28.6 percent from the field in the second half and trailed by double digits most of the way after halftime.
The Utes broke open a close game early in the second half. Utah opened the half on a 12-1 run powered by a pair of baskets apiece from Rollie Worster and Branden Carlson. It helped the Utes carve out a 41-25 lead.
Cal did not score its first basket after halftime until Kuany made a jumper with 13:52 left.
Utah led by as many as 20 points in the second half, going up 55-35 after Stefanovic capped a 7-0 Utes run with a 3-pointer.
Kuany scored three baskets to fuel an 11-2 run that put Cal up 18-11 midway through the first half. The Golden Bears quickly fell behind after going nearly five minutes without making a basket.
Brenchley made three baskets to spark an 11-0 run and give Utah a 22-18 lead. The senior guard had appeared in only 11 games for the Utes before Sunday, playing a total of 36 minutes. He had not scored since tallying four points in the season opener against Long Island.
–Field Level Media
