SALT LAKE CITY -- Andrew Bogut was wrestled, scratched and knocked down. But he was not stopped.
"They obviously wanted to be physical with me and there was an awful lot of banging, but I was able to overcome it and play on," he said.
Bogut scored a career-high 33 points, including 17 of 19 from the free-throw line, to lead No. 15 Utah to its 16th straight victory, 64-50 over Colorado State on Saturday night.
Bogut, who also grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked five shots, missed his first two free throws and then made 17 in a row for the Utes (21-3, 9-0 Mountain West), whose winning streak is the second-longest in the nation behind top-ranked Illinois (25-0).
"A big (guy) that can shoot free throws is priceless," Utah coach Ray Giacoletti said. "He's just so versatile. He's not just a one-dimensional post scorer."
The 7-foot Australian smiled when he showed his arms, flushed red and scratched.
"I haven t scored that many since a junior game in Australia," he said.
Bogut's previous high for Utah was 28 points against Coppin State on Dec. 20.
Marc Jackson had nine points, and Justin Hawkins added eight for Utah, which is unbeaten at home this season.
Matt Williams scored 17 points for the Rams (9-13, 1-8), who lost their seventh straight game overall and 18th straight on the road. Matt Nelson scored in double figures for the 20th straight game, finishing with 12 points before fouling out with 12:29 left.
"We really battled but we were no match for the best post player in the country. Bogut is the toughest, most mature 7-footer that's played in this nation in a long, long time," CSU coach Dale Layer said.
Williams made two free throws to cut Utah's lead to 55-50 with 2:36 left, but Bryant Markson countered with a 3-pointer that sparked a game-closing 9-0 run.
The Utes went on a 12-2 run that featured dunks by Bogut, Markson and Richard Chaney to take a 47-30 lead midway through the second half. But Utah stopped getting the ball to Bogut, and the Rams battled back behind all five of their 3-pointers in a 5-minute span.
"Give Colorado State credit for putting us in that position where we struggled. But we pulled through," Jackson said.
After blocking Nelson's shot, Bogut made a layup and drew Nelson's fifth foul. Bogut leads the nation in double-doubles with 16.
"It was a shame Nelson fouled out, but I guess it was good for me," Bogut said. "I'm just trying to improve every game on both ends of the floor."
Utah has won by an average of 17 points during its streak. The Utes' last loss came against Arizona on Dec. 11.
Williams returned to the lineup after missing three games with a sprained knee. Jason Smith, a 7-footer, sat out with a strained hamstring.
Colorado State's current losing streak began with a 75-52 loss to Utah on Jan. 17.
