SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Whenever Utah (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) needed a lift against Oregon State on Tuesday night, Hanno Mottola made it look easy.

	Utah's Hanno Mottola looks for a way to get around Clifton Jones. Mottola finished with 29 points.

In the game-breaking run, Mottola had a dunk, two drives for finger rolls in the lane and two free throws to give Utah (9-2) a 73-57 lead with 4:17 to play.

He was just following his coach's instructions.

"In the second half, I told Hanno to get his butt down in there and score some points inside," coach Rick Majerus said.

"Mottola hurt us. If we play a better big man this year, then I am scared because he is very good," Oregon State coach Eddie Payne said. "You don't see a guy play so effectively inside and outside like that."

Mottola finished with 29 points as Utah won its seventh straight game and extended its home winning streak to 43.

"I had a good game on offense, but I am not satisfied with my overall play," said Mottola, who was 9-of-13 in his third game back following knee surgery. He had a career-high 32 points in a win over Texas last Wednesday.

Jeremy Killion scored 16 points for the Utes, while Gary Colbert added 13 and Alex Jensen 10.

Deaundra Tanner, who led Oregon State with 24 points, cut the Utes' lead to 52-49, but the Utes scored seven consecutive points, including a four-point play. Tony Harvey made two free throws after an intentional foul by Josh Steinthal and Jensen scored on the ensuing possession.

"It was a big play because it got us fired up," Harvey said of Steinthal's tackle as he went for a fastbreak layup. "But I don't think it was nasty. Basketball is a contact sport."

Steinthal, who was booed by the crowd each time he touched the ball after the hard foul, scored all 10 of his points in the second half and Clifton Jones had 11 for the Beavers.

Utah led 40-34 at halftime but went scoreless for the first 3:29 of the second half. Meanwhile, the Beavers ran off nine straight points and Tanner's 3-pointer gave Oregon State a 43-40 lead.

Jeff Johnsen came off the bench to score five points in a 12-4 run that put Utah back on top for good.

With the score tied at 30, Mottola hit one of his three first-half 3 pointers to spark Utah on a 10-5 run to close the half.

Killion also had three first-half 3-pointers without a miss, including a buzzer-beater to give the Utes a 40-34 halftime lead.

The Utes finished 12-of-20 from 3-point range in ending Oregon State's three-game winning streak.

Utah shot 59 percent from the field but allowed its opponent to shoot 55 percent for the second straight game.