TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- With a deafening crowd against it, Utah escaped with a 60-54 first-round victory over UTEP in the NCAA tournament Thursday thanks to a brilliant bit of defense by Tim Drisdom and a critical rebound from an exhausted Andrew Bogut.<br>
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With Utah leading 56-54, UTEP's lightning-fast point guard Filiberto Rivera drove the lane. Drisdom stripped the ball away, then was fouled by Rivera. The Utah junior's two free throws made it 58-54 with 15.4 seconds to play.<br>
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Jason Williams tried to score inside, but Bogut got a piece of the ball, then saved the rebound as he crashed to the floor. Marc Jackson's two free throws with 5.6 seconds to go sealed a victory that left the Utes 6-0 in NCAA tournament games at McKale Center.<br>
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Utah (28-5) has won 23 of its last 25. <br>
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Bogut, who played all 40 minutes, had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, but the Australian 7-footer, who could be the first player taken in this year's NBA draft if he turns pro as expected, was just 2-for-4 shooting in the second half and made only 4-of-10 free throws. Bryant Markson was the only other Ute in double figures with 10 points.<br>
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Omar Thomas, one of the great stories of the tournament after overcoming a childhood in which his father and two brothers were imprisoned for murder, scored 24 in his final collegiate game. Rivera added 11 points.<br>
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The sixth-seeded Utes play Oklahoma on Saturday in the second round of the Austin Regional. The Sooners beat Niagara 84-67 in the first Tucson game Thursday.<br>
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McKale Center was packed and rocking, mostly with orange-clad Miners fans who made the 4 1/2-hour drive from El Paso to watch their team go for its first NCAA tournament victory since 1992. <br>
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The 11th-seeded Miners (27-8) dug out of a 13-point second-half deficit to tie it three times but never could take the lead, despite several opportunities.<br>
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Marc Jackson's 15-foot jumper rattled in to put Utah ahead 56-54 with 39.5 seconds to play.<br>
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Bogut was magnificent in the first half with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, but UTEP's aggressive defense shut him down for most of the second half, holding him scoreless for nearly 12 minutes.<br>
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Markson and Richard Chaney sank consecutive 3s to give Utah its biggest lead, 44-31, with 14:35 to play.<br>
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That's when the Miners, with the crowd roaring its support, revved up their defense. Utah committed four turnovers in a row and UTEP outscored the Utes 15-2 to tie it at 46 on Giovanni St. Amant's steal and layup with 7:24 remaining. UTEP tied it twice more, the last time at 54 on Thomas' basket around an obviously tired Bogut with 1:10 to play.
