Runnin' Utes Host BYU on ESPN's Big Monday

Jan. 24, 2002

Game #18

Utah Runnin' Utes (14-3, 4-0 MWC) vs. Brigham Young Cougars (12-5, 2-2 MWC)

Jan. 28 * 10:05 p.m. (MST) * Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) * Salt Lake City

The Game at a Glance

Utah Head Coach: Rick Majerus            BYU Head Coach: Steve ClevelandAlma Mater: Marquette, 1970         Alma Mater: UC Irvine, 1976Record at Utah: 275-76/13th Season  Record at BYU: 79-62/5th SeasonOverall Record: 376-128/18th Season Overall Record: 79-62/5th Season
Television: ESPN. Bob Carpenter (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst).Radio: Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com and www.kall910.com. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play),Mark Rydalch (analyst)and Brad Stone (host).
Series Record: Tied 115-115Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 68-46/44-63/3-6Last Meeting: Utah defeated BYU 82-75 on Feb. 24, 2001 in Salt Lake City.
Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics35  F   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. Murray, Utah            9.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. Murray, Utah            11.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg13  C   Cameron Koford 6-11    230 Jr. Plain City, Utah    3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.  5.6 ppg, 4.9 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. Fargo, N.D.         15.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani 6-3 203 Fr. Montevideo, Uruguay 1.5 ppg, 1.1 apg21  G/F Trace Caton   6-5 214 Jr. Alamosa, Colo.          5.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg32  G   Eric Osmundson 6-3 196 Fr. Carlsbad, Calif.    2.2 ppg, 1.1 apg40  F/C Phil Cullen   6-9 221 Sr. Chelan, Wash.           6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg41  C   Lance Allred 6-10    239 So. Salt Lake City          2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Brigham Young Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   F   Mark Bigelow    6-7 190 So. Olympia, Wash.          16.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg25  F   Eric Nielsen    6-9 215 Sr. Fremont, Calif.         10.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg52  C   Jared Jensen    6-9 240 Fr. Plain City, Utah    9.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg2   F   Travis Hansen   6-6 210 Jr. Orem, Utah          14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg31  G   Matt Montague   6-0 190 Sr. Louisville, Ky.         6.2 ppg, 7.1 apg

After This

The Runnin' Utes continue a three-game homestand next weekend. Utah hosts Colorado State on Saturday at 7:07 p.m. and Wyoming next Monday at 10:05 p.m. on ESPN's "Big Monday."

Quickly On Utah

The Runnin' Utes are 14-3 overall and 4-0 in Mountain West Conference action heading into Monday night's game against Brigham Young at 10:05 p.m. (MST) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Last weekend, Utah went on the road to defeat Air Force 63-57 in overtime on Saturday and New Mexico 81-51 on Monday.

After starting out 3-3, the Utes have won 11 in a row. Utah's current win streak is its longest since winning a school-record 23 games during the 1998-99 season. Utah is 10-1 at home overall this season and 2-0 in MWC games.

Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson leads the Runnin' Utes in scoring (15.3 ppg), shooting 52.5 percent (52-of-99) from three-point range to rank fourth in the nation. Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen is second in scoring (11.6 ppg) and first in rebounding (5.5 rpg). Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Senior 6-4 guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is fourth in scoring (9.3 ppg), second in assists (3.1 apg) and first in steals (1.6 spg).

Utah ranks 11th in the NCAA in scoring defense (59.8 ppg), first in three-point field goal percentage (44.8) and tied for 21st in threes made per game (8.3).

Jacobson Named MWC Player of the Week on Monday

Utah sophomore guard Nick Jacobson was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Utes to league wins over San Diego State and Air Force. It was Jacobson's first player of the week honor of his career. The Fargo, N.D., native (Roseville, Minn., HS) averaged 22.0 points and 2.5 rebounds last week (Jan. 13-19). The Ute guard shot 65 percent from the field (15-of-23), 69 percent from three-point range (11-of-16) and 75 percent from the free throw line (3-of-4).

In the 76-70 win versus San Diego State, Jacobson was one-point shy of his career high with 25 points. He tied the school record with seven three-pointers (in 10 attempts) and hit 9-of-14 shots from the field. Jacobson's 19 points (4-of-6 treys) was a game high in the 63-57 overtime win at Air Force last Saturday as he played the entire 45 minutes. He also hit 6-of-9 from the field to go with three rebounds and one assist.

Scouting Brigham Young

The Cougars are 12-5 overall and 2-2 in Mountain West Conference action. After winning 10 of 11, including its first two league games, BYU dropped two MWC games on the road last weekend. The Cougars fell at New Mexico 73-58 last Saturday and at Air Force 74-64 on Monday. BYU is 1-5 in road games this season and has lost its last five.

Sophomore 6-7 guard/forward Mark Bigelow ranks fifth in the MWC in scoring (16.5 ppg), ninth in three-point percentage (41.1) and third in free throw percentage (84.9). Junior 6-6 guard/forward Travis Hansen is 10th in the MWC in scoring (14.5 ppg), 10th in three-point percentage (40.8) and seventh in rebounding (6.8 rpg). Freshman 6-9 forward/center Jared Jensen averages 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and leads the conference in field goal percentage (63.2). Senior 6-9 forward Eric Nielsen is 15th in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and averages 10.0 points per game. Senior 6-0 guard Matt Montague ranks sixth in the NCAA and leads the MWC in assists (7.1 apg). He is also averaging 6.2 points per game.

Brigham Young ranks fifth in the Mountain West in scoring offense (72.5 ppg), third in scoring defense (63.6 ppg) and fifth in rebound margin (+4.3).

Head Coach Steve Cleveland

Steve Cleveland is in his fifth season at BYU and has a 79-62 career record. Last season with a 24-9 overall record and a 10-4 mark in MWC play, Cleveland guided BYU to its first NCAA Tournament since 1995, its first conference regular season title since 1993 and its first conference tournament championship since 1992. Cleveland took BYU to the NIT in 2000. After two losing campaigns, he has guided the Cougars to 20-win seasons in 1999-2000 (22-11) and 2000-01 (24-9). The last two seasons rank among the school's all-time top eight seasons in wins. Before taking over at BYU, Cleveland was the head coach at Fresno City College.

Utah-BYU Series Notes

* Utah and BYU meet for the 231st time on Monday night. The Cougars are the Utes' oldest rivals in a series that dates back to a 32-9 win by BYU on Jan. 23, 1909 in Provo, Utah.

* The series is tied 115-115. The Utes have won 13 of the last 15 meetings.

* In conference regular season play, Utah has a 112-109 edge.

* In Salt Lake City, the Utes have a 68-48 advantage and have won seven in a row. Their last loss to BYU was 64-62 on Jan. 8, 1994.

* Utah's most decisive win over BYU during the Rick Majerus era was 85-49 on Feb. 6, 1997 in Salt Lake City.

* Rick Majerus is 16-9 against BYU all-time with all of those games taking place during his tenure at Utah. He is 8-2 in Salt Lake City and 7-3 in Provo.

* Steve Cleveland is 2-8 against Utah.

The Last Time Around

Kevin Bradley came off the bench to score 18 points and Britton Johnsen added 15 to lift the Utes over Brigham Young 82-75 last season on Feb. 24 in the Huntsman Center as Utah closed out its regular-season home schedule. Chris Burgess had 14 points and Nick Jacobson scored all 13 of his points in the second half as Utah won its seventh game in a row. The game was played in front of 15,373 fans, the 15th-largest crowd to see a game in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Trent Whiting paced BYU with 22 points and Eric Nielsen contributed a season-high 16 on 6-of-6 shooting. Bolstered by 57.1 percent shooting, Utah won its seventh straight home game against BYU and snapped a two-game skid versus the Cougars. On the other side, Utah's defense controlled BYU's two leading scorers all game long. Mekeli Wesley had just four points on 1-of-8 from the field and Terrell Lyday had 14 points, but shot just 3-of-12. The Cougars shot just 43.4 percent as a team.

Utah's lead was trimmed to 60-56 before Jacobson hit his third three-pointer of the second half and Burgess made a jumper in the lane to give Utah a 65-56 lead with 4:14 remaining. Britton Johnsen beat the shot clock with a jumper, and after a Nate Cooper free throw, Bradley sank a bank shot to up Utah's lead to 69-59 with 1:44 to play. The Utes made 13-of-16 free throws in the last 1:27.

The game was tight throughout, with Utah's biggest lead of the second half (50-39) coming on Jacobson's three-pointer with 14:57 left to play. The Utes shot 61 percent from the field in the first half on their way to a 41-34 halftime lead. Bradley scored 11 points in the half and Utah dominated on the boards 18-9 and in the paint, outscoring the Cougars 16-2.

The Old Oquirrh Bucket

Saturday's game continues Utah's bid to win the Old Oquirrh Bucket trophy for 2001-02. The Old Oquirrh Bucket (named after the Oquirrh Mountains to the west of Salt Lake City) is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. The trophy is awarded every year to the in-state college team (Utah, BYU, Southern Utah, Utah State and Weber State) which has the best win-loss record against in-state competition.

Utah has won the Old Oquirrh Bucket 11 times since its inception in 1974-75. The Utes had also possessed the award six years in a row before BYU claimed it last season.

So far this season in the in-state battles, both Utah and BYU are 2-1 with wins over Weber State and Southern Utah and a loss to Utah State. Utah State is also 2-1, with its loss coming to Weber State.

Jacobson Prolific From Beyond the Arc

* Sophomore guard Nick Jacobson (6-4, 198) leads the Utes in scoring (15.3 ppg) and three-point percentage (52.5). He has scored in double figures in 14 of the 17 games this season.

* In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Jan. 21, Jacobson was fourth in three-point percentage (52.5) and tied for 26th in three-pointers made per game (3.1).

* In the last six games dating back to Idaho State on Dec. 21, Jacobson has been shooting 56.5 percent from three-point range (26-for-46).

* In the three games prior to getting just two points in 11 minutes against New Mexico on Monday, the Fargo, N.D., native had made 16-of-24 (66.7) from beyond the arc. Jacobson put up a career-high 26 points against UNLV on Jan. 12. He hit five treys in eight attempts and converted 9-of-15 field goals overall. He had 25 points against San Diego State on Jan. 14, tying the school record with seven three-pointers (in 10 attempts) and hitting 9-of-14 from the field. Jacobson's 19 points (4-of-6 on threes) was a game high in the overtime win at Air Force on Saturday as he played the entire 45 minutes.

* In Mountain West Conference play, Jacobson is shooting 66.7 percent from three-point range and 62.5 percent from the field to average 18.0 points per game.

* Jacobson had a career-high six rebounds against Arizona State on Dec. 4 and a career-high five assists versus Troy State on Dec. 8.

* Last season, Jacobson was named the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Ute to garner conference Freshman of the Year honors since Keith Van Horn in 1993-94. Jacobson made the top 10 in five statistical categories on the all-time freshman charts at Utah last season. He ranked eighth in scoring (245 points), eighth in scoring average (7.9 ppg), second in three-pointers made (37), first in three-pointers attempted (97) and first in free throw percentage (.806).

Johnsen & Johnsen

* Junior forward Britton Johnsen (6-9, 213) earned second team all-Mountain West Conference honors last season and was a preseason all-league choice by the media this season. Britton is second on the team in scoring (11.6 ppg) and first in rebounding (5.5 rpg). Dating back to last season, Britton has scored in double figures in 28 of the last 42 contests-including 14 of the 16 games this season.

* Britton scored a career-high 25 points and had seven rebounds against New Mexico on Jan. 21. He shot 9-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the free throw line.

* The Murray, Utah, native has led the Utes in rebounding six of the seven games since Chris Burgess was injured against Texas. During that stretch, Britton has averaged 7.2 rebounds per game. He had a season-high 11 rebounds to go with 10 points against San Diego State on Jan. 14 to get his first double-double of the season.

* Britton had a career-high tying three blocked shots against Texas on Dec. 29. He tied a personal best with three steals against Whitworth on Jan. 2.

* Senior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 204) joins his younger brother Britton in the Utah lineup. Jeff is averaging 9.3 points (fourth-best on the team) and 3.1 assists (second-best on the team), and has started the last 13 games. Jeff has scored in double figures in eight of the last 14 games.

* In Mountain West Conference games, Jeff has averaged 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He has shot 44.1 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range (8-of-16). Jeff had a career-high seven assists against New Mexico on Jan. 21. He also got a career-high five three-pointers in seven attempts against UNLV on Jan. 12 to score 17 points, his second-highest output this season.

* Jeff had a season-high 18 points against Whitworth on Jan. 2, missing his career high by two points. He shot 8-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from the line that night. Against Texas on Dec. 29, Jeff had season highs of seven rebounds and three steals.

* Rick Majerus has literally made his program a family affair at Utah. The Johnsens are the fifth set of brothers to play for Majerus spanning his 13-year career at the U. However, they are the first brothers to play together.

Getting to the Point with Spivey

* Senior point guard Travis Spivey (6-1, 212) has 75 assists (5.0 per game) to 32 turnovers (2.3:1 ratio) this season. Spivey has had fewer than two turnovers in six games this season. He is also averaging 5.4 points per game.

* In the last four games he's played, Spivey has put up 27 turnovers to nine assists (3:1 ratio) while averaging over 30 minutes a game.

* The Myrtle Beach, S.C., native had a career-high 10 assists against Pepperdine on Dec. 1. Spivey got a career-high 18 points against Utah State on Nov. 23.

* Spivey seemed to only get better and better as the 2000-01 season wore on after transferring from Salt Lake Community College. Spivey started the final 19 games of the season at the point, playing over 30 minutes in seven of those games. In the final 16 games of the regular season, the Myrtle Beach, S.C., native had 75 assists to 33 turnovers (2.3:1 ratio). He averaged 4.7 assists and 7.3 points per game, scoring in double figures four times during that stretch.

Cullen Climbing the Career Charts After A Summer on the Mound

* Senior forward Phil Cullen (6-9, 221) has already moved into the top 10 on numerous career charts at Utah. Cullen ranks fifth in three-pointers made (128), fifth in three-pointers attempted (328) and ninth in blocked shots (58). He has started 42 games during his Utah career.

* This season, Cullen is averaging 6.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game off the bench. He is shooting 48.9 percent from three-point range.

* Getting more playing time since the injury to Chris Burgess against Texas on Dec. 29, Cullen has increased his productivity. He had a season-high 15 points, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes against New Mexico on Jan. 21. In Mountain West Conference play, Cullen is averaging 8.8 points per game while connecting on 60.0 percent (9-for-15) of his three-point attempts.

* This past summer, Cullen played minor league baseball with the Seattle Mariners. The pitcher was taken in the 32nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by Seattle and signed with the organization last August. He climbed to the Class A level with the Everett (Wash.) Aquasox in the Northwest League, starting 14 games. Cullen went 1-4 with a 5.08 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.

Burgess Out With Torn Plantar Fascia

* Senior center/forward Chris Burgess (6-10, 240) has been out the last four weeks with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Burgess suffered the injury five minutes into the Texas game on Dec. 29. At the time of the injury, he was expected to be out for at least a month and perhaps the rest of the season.

* Burgess has led the Utes in scoring five times and rebounds eight times this season. He has also had four double-doubles. The Irvine, Calif., native still ranks second on the team in scoring average (13.2 ppg) while shooting 66.0 percent from the field, which ranked fourth-best in the nation as of Jan. 7. He is also averaging a team-best 7.2 rebounds this season.

* Prior to being injured in the first half against Texas, Burgess had reached double figures in points five times and rebounds four times in the last six games. Over that stretch, he averaged 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. Burgess had a career-high 22 points versus Troy State on Dec. 8.

Take Note of These Utes

* Junior guard/forward Trace Caton (6-5, 214) had his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season and his second in three games with 12 points against New Mexico on Jan. 21, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. During conference play, Caton has shot 11-of-18 from the field, 7-of-10 from beyond the arc and 2-of-3 at the line to average 7.8 points. Despite playing off the bench, he is averaging 22.8 minutes per game in league action, which is fifth-best on the team.

* Junior center Cameron Koford (6-11, 230) had his best game in a Ute uniform in the overtime win at Air Force on Jan. 19. The Plain City, Utah, native had a career-best 15 points, hitting 6-of-8 field goals and 3-of-6 free throws in 32 minutes. Koford also had a Utah career-best eight rebounds and tied his overall personal best with two blocked shots in his first start as a Ute. Before his outburst against the Falcons, Koford had put up 22 points and 17 rebounds in the previous 15 games this season.

* Freshman guard Martin Osimani (6-3, 203) had a career-best seven points, hitting both of his field goal attempts and 3-of-4 free throws, against Saint Mary's (Calif.) on Jan. 7. He also had three rebounds, one assist, one steal and no turnovers in 25 minutes.

New Mexico Game Rewind

Britton Johnsen scored 25 points and Utah overcame a horrid shooting start Monday night to beat New Mexico 81-51 in The Pit for the Utes' 11th straight win. It was Utah's most decisive road win since beating Loyola Marymount 89-50 on Nov. 25, 1997.

Utah (14-3, 4-0 Mountain West) missed 11 straight shots after Ute guard Travis Spivey opened the scoring with a three-pointer. That allowed New Mexico (12-5, 2-1 MWC) to take a 12-4 lead, but the Lobos failed to fully capitalize on the Utes' early shooting problems.

A pair of free throws by Johnsen and the first of Phil Cullen's five three-pointers in the game kick-started the Utes' offense. After that there was no stopping them. Utah hit six straight three-pointers and Johnsen repeatedly schooled New Mexico sophomore center Patrick Dennehy, scoring over him or beating Dennehy for backdoor layups. Johnsen hit 9-of-12 shots. Cullen added 15 points, going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.

When Utah wasn't finding Johnsen, Cullen and Trace Caton were leading a prolific outside assault that saw the Utes hit 12-of-18 three-pointers. An 18-2 run gave Utah a 32-20 lead with 4:15 left in the first half. After missing 11 of their first 12 shots, the Utes hit 12 of their last 16 in the first half.

Utah turned it into a rout midway through the second half as Johnsen scored six straight points for a 56-37 lead. New Mexico helped assure the loss by missing 13-of-25 free throws. Ruben Douglas led New Mexico with 21 points.

The Gunnin' Utes Lead the Nation in Three-Point Percentage

Utah ranks first in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (44.8) and tied for 21st in threes made per game (8.3) as of Jan. 21. Individually, sophomore guard Nick Jacobson ranks fourth in the NCAA in three-point percentage (52.5) and tied for 26th in trifectas hit per game (3.1).

* In the Mountain West Conference overall rankings, Utah is first in three-point percentage (44.8) and first in threes made per game (8.3). In conference play, the Utes are shooting 59.3 percent from three-point range and have made an average of 12.0 treys per game to rank first in both categories.

* Utah's best three-point shooting team under Rick Majerus was the 1992-93 squad that shot 41.0 percent to rank 10th in the NCAA.

* Utah has shot at least 40 percent from three-point range in 10 games this season, all of them wins. The Utes have made at least five three-pointers in 15 of the 17 games.

* Three Utes are shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range on the season: Trace Caton (54.5), Nick Jacobson (52.5) and Phil Cullen (48.9). In Mountain West games, six Utes are shooting at least 50 percent from beyond the arc: Trace Caton (70.0), Nick Jacobson (66.7), Britton Johnsen (55.6), Phil Cullen (60.0), Travis Spivey (60.0) and Jeff Johnsen (50.0).

* Against UNLV on Jan. 12, Utah made 17-of-26 three-pointers. The Utes' prolific shooting broke the school single-game record of 14 set four times, most recently against Washington State (14-of-28) on Dec. 11, 1999. The Utes also broke the Mountain West conference game record for threes in a game, bettering BYU's mark of 13 against San Diego State on Jan. 13, 2001. Utah tied the MWC record for all games, equaling Colorado State's 17 treys against Michigan on Jan. 2, 2000.

* Utah came back with 14 three-pointers in 18 attempts against San Diego State on Jan. 14 to equal the second-best mark in school history.

* The Utes' shot their best percentage of the season from three-point range (.714) against Pepperdine on Dec. 1, which tied the second-best single-game mark in school history.

* Utah shot 66.7 percent against New Mexico on Jan. 21 to equal the third-highest single-game mark.

Utes Shake Off Road Shooting Woes Last Weekend

Utah had been shooting significantly better at home than on the road this season, that is until the Utes continued their recent hot shooting at Air Force (Jan. 19) and New Mexico (Jan, 21).

Heading into the road trip, the Utes had shot 42.6 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three-point range on the road compared to 49.0 and 47.2 percent, respectively, in the Huntsman Center this season. Against Air Force, Utah shot 55.6 percent from the field-its best effort on the road this season-and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Utes shot 55.6 from the floor for the second consecutive game against New Mexico. Utah also hit 66.7 percent from three-point range against the Lobos, which was its best mark on the road this season.

Following those two games, Utah's road shooting percentages have improved to 47.6 percent from the floor overall and 42.1 percent from three-point territory.

Inside the Numbers

* In 13 of Utah's 14 wins, the opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field. The exception was San Diego State, which shot 51.9 percent on Jan. 14. Conversely, the opposition has shot better than 50 percent in each of Utah's three losses.

* Utah has held seven opponents-including six of the last 11-to 40 percent or less from the field (Boise State, Troy State, Weber State, Southern Utah, Texas, Saint Mary's and New Mexico).

* Utah is 9-1 when outrebounding its opponents this season. Before posting a 30-24 advantage against UNLV on Jan. 12, the Utes had been outrebounded in three consecutive games.

* The Utes have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 12 of their 14 wins and a negative ratio in each of the three losses. In its win over New Mexico on Jan. 21, Utah had a season-low eight turnovers (only three in the second half) and 21 assists.

* In 12 of the 14 wins, Utah has held its opponent to 63 points or less. In all three losses, the opponents have all surpassed the 70-point barrier.

* Utah has eclipsed the 80-point mark four times, winning all of those games (Pepperdine, 81-74, Troy State, 87-56, UNLV on Jan. 12, 86-63, New Mexico on Jan. 21, 81-51).

* Utah scored a season-high 47 points in the second half against UNLV on Jan. 12. The Utes also connected on a season-high 61.7 percent of their field goals in that game.

* Utah has won twice when trailing at the half this season, getting wins against Air Force on Jan. 19 and Weber State on Dec. 15. The Utes are 2-3 when behind after 20 minutes this season.

* Utah had a season-high nine blocked shots against Idaho State, missing the school single-game record by one. Chris Burgess and Travis Spivey both had career highs of four blocked shots in that game.

Utes Tough At Home In the Huntsman Center

* Utah's all-time record in the Huntsman Center is 408-87. Utah got its 400th win in the history of the facility on Nov. 20 against Boise State.

* The Utes are 177-16 (.917) in the Huntsman Center during the Majerus era (including the 15 games he did not coach during the 2000-01 season) and have never lost back-to-back home games. With Majerus on the bench, the Utes are 157-11 (.935) at home. The Utes have won 114 of their last 120 games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

* Utah has gone unbeaten seven times in the 33-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Six of those undefeated home seasons have come under Rick Majerus: 1990-91 (16-0), 1992-93 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (13-0), 1998-99 (14-0) and 1999-2000 (17-0).

The Nation's Most Dominant Team in League Play at Home

* With its 76-70 win over San Diego State on Jan. 14, Utah has won 46 consecutive games against conference opponents at home, which is the nation's longest current streak. Utah's last home conference loss was to Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, 1996.

* Utah is the nation's most dominant team in conference home games over the past eight years with a 55-1 record (.982).

* Against the seven other teams that now form the Mountain West Conference, Utah has won 42 in a row at home dating back to a 71-70 loss to Colorado State on Jan. 27, 1994.

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