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INDIANAPOLIS — The road hasn't been kind to Utah men's basketball this season.
But the road to an NIT championship had to go through the Hinkle Fieldhouse, with a semifinal matchup against Indiana State — essentially a home game for the Sycamores.
Despite the road woes this season, though, Utah fared well in the hostile historic venue and kept the matchup close. But top-seeded Indiana State was just a bit better, pulling away down the stretch amid some careless Utah play for a 100-90 win.
The Sycamores (32-6) advance to the NIT championship game Thursday, and Utah's season officially comes to an end.
"We just didn't have a ton of answers for them," Utah head coach Craig Smith said. "Credit to them, they put a lot of pressure on you in all five positions.
"What a great environment tonight," he added. "Obviously, it's a neutral court game but Indiana State is 71 miles away, and they showed up and they showed out, and you could feel that. But I think the guys would tell you, it was a great college basketball environment in a legendary facility."
Indiana State had four players finish in double figures, with Ryan Conwell leading the charge with a career-high tying 27 points, six rebounds and four assists. Goggles-wearing sensation Robby Avila finished with 26 points, with 15 of those coming in the first half, and 10 rebounds. The duo combined for seven of the team's 12 3-pointers in the win.
Utah's (22-15) season concludes with Deivon Smith's career-high 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists; and in his last collegiate game, Branden Carlson added 17 points and five rebounds in the loss.
"Really just kind of processing how it's over now, and on to the next for me," Carlson said. "But I'm really proud of this team and the adversity we've overcome and the things we've had to accomplish and where we got so. So I'm just proud of these guys, and I'm going to — I'm just very happy to be a part of this team."
"I think it's a pretty special team," added Deivon Smith. "I know I say it in all the media that this is one of the best teams I've ever been on, and this last postseason stretch really showed like the brotherhood we have and the chemistry we had later on in the season."
Utah chipped away at Indiana State's lead — a lead that ballooned to 10 midway through the first half as the Sycamores shot 70% — and eventually a Smith layup gave the Utes a 1-point lead in the waning minutes of the half. The two teams battled to the end of the first half, with the teams locked up 44-44 at halftime.
The Runnin' Utes couldn't keep up in the second half as the Sycamores attacked Utah in transition and won the matchups with relative ease. Utah tried to double or triple team Indiana State players, but the Sycamores found the open man time and time again as Utah utilized a primarily zone defense in the second half.
The defense mostly worked, but Indiana State executed its offense better en route to shooting 57% from the field.
"I thought they hurt us in transition," Craig Smith said. "They hurt us some in the zone and we struggled in the man. They put a lot of pressure on you. They have three play-making guards that can do a lot of things. They can shoot, pass, handle, very unselfish, and their big can really shoot it and pass it."
