FORT COLLINS, Colo. — With Utah struggling against a team it was expected to beat, Tyler Kepkay decided to take things into his own hands.
Well, he didn't think he decided to, but Kepkay was the catalyst for a second-half rally that kept the Utes in first place in the Mountain West Conference with Wednesday's overtime victory over Colorado State.
Kepkay scored 24 of his career-high 27 points in the second half as he continually drove the lane for layups or pull-up jumpers. He also made 3-of-7 from 3-point range.
Ute coach Jim Boylen praised his senior guard as the difference in the game, and Colorado State coach Tim Miles couldn't have agreed more.
"I thought the difference in the game was Kepkay," said Miles. "He just ran it down our throats and made some huge plays. I thought he was the back-breaker."
With the Utes down by seven points early in the second half, Kepkay went to work. After missing a 3-pointer, he got the ball back and sank a short jumper. He hit a 15-footer, then scored on a drive to bring the Utes within four. He drove the ball to the hole for a basket, then sank a 12-footer in the lane to make it 56-54 CSU.
Then with 6:37 left, Kepkay gave the Utes their first lead since early in the first half with a 3-pointer from the left angle to make it 62-61. Back-to-back Kepkay jumpers from the top staked the Utes to a 69-65 lead.
"I didn't really say 'I need to do it,' but I knew I had to put more energy into it, as well as everybody else," said Kepkay, trying to deflect the credit.
"It was just opportunities. They're really a scrambling, defensive team and really swarmed Luke (Nevill) everywhere, so if you can get past that first line of pressure you usually have pretty good options."
Boylen said, "What happened was they started hugging Luke and jamming Luke and so now we're running pick-and-rolls with Luke and there's nobody to help with Kepkay. He's very good in the middle of the floor and in those high pick-and-rolls."
UTE NOTES: Former Ute great Keith Van Horn was on hand for the game, sitting behind the Ute bench wearing a white golf shirt with "University of Utah" on the front. He lives near Denver with his wife and four children …This marked the fourth game in five that the Utes have trailed at halftime and come back to win … After getting outrebounded for most of the game, the Utes finished with 40 rebounds to 35 for CSU … The Rams shot 47 percent in regulation, but made just 1-of-7 in the overtime.
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