Utah Hosts New Mexico On ESPN's Big Monday

Feb. 17, 2002

Game #24

Utah Runnin' Utes (18-5, 7-2 MWC) vs. New Mexico Lobos (14-9, 4-5 MWC)

Feb. 18 * 10:03 p.m. (MST) * Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) * Salt Lake City

The Game at a Glance

Utah Head Coach: Rick Majerus            New Mexico Head Coach: Fran FrachillaAlma Mater: Marquette, 1970         Alma Mater: Brooklyn College, 1980Record at Utah: 279-78/13th Season  Record at New Mexico: 53-36/3rd SeasonOverall Record: 380-130/18th Season Overall Record: 173-95/9th 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: Utah leads 70-37Utah Home/Away/Neutral: 45-5/23-31/2-1Last Meeting: Utah defeated New Mexico 81-51 on Jan. 21, 2002 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics35  F   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. Murray, Utah            10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. Murray, Utah            12.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg13  C   Cameron Koford 6-11    230 Jr. Plain City, Utah    3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.  6.3 ppg, 4.7 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. Fargo, N.D.         13.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani 6-3 203 Fr. Montevideo, Uruguay 1.1 ppg, 0.9 apg21  G/F Trace Caton   6-5 214 Jr. Alamosa, Colo.          5.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg32  G   Eric Osmundson 6-3 196 Fr. Carlsbad, Calif.    2.0 ppg, 1.0 apg40  F/C Phil Cullen   6-9 221 Sr. Chelan, Wash.           6.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg41  C   Lance Allred 6-10    239 So. Salt Lake City          2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
New Mexico Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name             Ht.    Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics33  F   Patrick Denehey  6-9    217 So. Santa Clara, Calif. 10.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg55  C   Moustapha Diagne 7-0    235 Jr. Dakar, Senegal          2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg3   G   Senque Carey     6-4    209 Jr. East Palo Alto, Calif.  5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg5       G   Ruben Douglas    6-5    200 Jr. Altadena, Calif.    16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg42  G   Eric Chatfield   6-3    215 Sr. Queens, N.Y.            10.7 ppg, 3.0 apg

After This

The Runnin' Utes face BYU on Saturday at 1:07 p.m. (MST) in Provo, Utah. The game will be televised regionally and ESPN+Plus and shown in Salt Lake City on KJZZ-TV (Channel 14, AT&T Cable 3).

Quickly On Utah

The Runnin' Utes are 18-5 overall and in second place in the Mountain West Conference with an 8-2 record heading into Monday night's home game against New Mexico at 10:03 p.m. (MST) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It will be the Utah's final home game of the regular season, where it is 13-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play this season. Since starting out 3-3, the Utes have won 15 of the last 17 games.

Utah defeated Air Force 59-51 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Last weekend, the Runnin' Utes split a two-game road trip. After getting a 70-53 win at San Diego State on Saturday afternoon, the Utes fell to UNLV 72-64 in Las Vegas on Monday night.

Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson leads the Runnin' Utes in scoring (13.1 ppg), shooting 45.2 percent (57-of-126) from three-point range. He ranked 16th in the nation in three-point percentage as of Tuesday. Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen is second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and blocked shots (0.69 bpg). Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (4.8 apg). Senior 6-4 guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is third in scoring (10.2 ppg), second in assists (2.8 apg) and first in steals (1.4 spg).

As of Tuesday when the NCAA rankings were released, Utah was 12th in the nation in scoring defense (60.2 ppg), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (41.4) and 28th in field goal percentage (47.5). Currently, Utah is allowing 59.8 points per game, and shooting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc and 47.6 percent from the field.

Four Seniors To Be Honored Before Monday's Game

Utah's senior class of Chris Burgess, Phil Cullen, Jeff Johnsen and Travis Spivey will be honored before Monday night's game against New Mexico.

* In two seasons on the court with the Utes since transferring from Duke, Burgess has averaged 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. This season before being sidelined Dec. 29 with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, Burgess reached the 20-points plateau twice and had four double-doubles. If he is not able to return, Utah will petition the NCAA to get Burgess a sixth year of eligibility for next season.

* Cullen ranks fifth in three-pointers made (140), fifth in attempts (356) and tied for ninth in percentage (39.3) all-time at Utah. He is also ninth in career blocked shots (61) and has started 42 games in four seasons. Cullen has averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game during his career. He was the named the 1999-2000 MWC "Sixth Man of the Year" by the media.

* Johnsen has started 40 games during his four-year career at Utah. He has averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He recently tied his career high of 20 points against San Diego State on Feb. 9. Before serving a two-year LDS Church mission, Johnsen played on the 1996-97 team that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

* Spivey has started 45 games over the last two seasons since transferring from Salt Lake Community College. He has led the Utes in assists both years. In his Utah career, he has averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 assists per game. Spivey has had career bests in all three major statistical categories this season, recording high marks of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Scouting New Mexico

The Lobos are 14-9 overall and 4-5 in Mountain West Conference play for fifth place. After getting off to a 2-0 start in the league, New Mexico has lost five of its last seven. New Mexico lost at BYU 68-62 on Saturday afternoon. Last weekend, UNM fell 47-44 at Air Force. The Lobos are 2-4 on the road this season, including a 1-3 record in MWC games.

Junior 6-5 guard Ruben Douglas, a second team all-MWC pick last season, ranks sixth in the MWC in scoring (16.0 ppg), 11th in three-point percentage (39.8) and second in free throw percentage (85.4). Sophomore 6-9 center Patrick Dennehy ranks fifth in the MWC in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and averages 10.3 points per game. Senior 6-3 guard Eric Chatfield ranks 20th in the league in scoring (9.9 ppg) and seventh in assists (3.04).

New Mexico ranks fourth in the Mountain West in scoring (72.3 ppg), fifth in scoring defense (67.4 ppg), second in rebound margin (+4.9) and third in three-pointers made per game (5.74).

Head Coach Fran Fraschilla

Fran Fraschilla is in his third year at New Mexico with a 53-36 record. His career mark is 173-95 in nine seasons. Entering the season, he had the third-highest win total (39) after his first two seasons of any Lobo mentor, behind only Norm Ellenberger (43) and Dave Bliss (42). Fraschilla guided the Lobos to the second round of the NIT in 2000 and the third round in '01.

Fraschilla took a year off from coaching after directing St. John's from 1996-98, leading the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament in 1998. He was also the head coach at Manhattan from 1992-96. Fraschilla was named the NABC Coach of the Year in 1994-95 when he led Manhattan to its first-ever NCAA Tournament first round win and a 26-5 record.

Utah-New Mexico Series Notes

* The Utes and Lobos meet for the 108th time on Monday night. The series dates back to a 59-47 win by Utah on Jan. 3, 1952 in Albuquerque, N.M., in a Skyline Conference match-up.

* Utah leads the all-time series 70-37 and has won eight of the last 10 games. The Utes won the first meeting this season, 81-51, on Jan. 21 in Albuquerque, N.M. Utah also won two of three games last season.

* In conference play, the Utes have a 67-34 advantage.

* In Salt Lake City, Utah has a 45-5 advantage and has won 12 in a row. The Utes haven't lost to the Lobos in the Huntsman Center since falling 79-76 on Feb. 16, 1989.

* Utah's most decisive win over UNM under Rick Majerus was 36 points (86-50) on March 10, 1995 in the WAC Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.

* New Mexico's most decisive win over Utah during the Rick Majerus era was 16 points (87-71) on Feb. 1, 1997 in Albuquerque, N.M.

* Rick Majerus is 17-8 against New Mexico all-time with all of those games taking place during his tenure at Utah. He is 4-8 in against UNM in Albuquerque, winning four of the last eight games. That mark includes a 1-1 record in WAC Tournament games (1996-97). He is 11-0 against New Mexico in Salt Lake City.

* Fran Fraschilla is 2-4 against Utah in his tenure at New Mexico and 0-2 in Salt Lake City.

The Last Time Around

Britton Johnsen scored 25 points and Utah overcame a horrid shooting start to beat New Mexico 81-51 on Jan. 21 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 missed 11 straight shots after Ute guard Travis Spivey opened the scoring with a three-pointer. That allowed New Mexico 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.

Last Season In Salt Lake City

Kevin Bradley scored 19 points and Jeff Johnsen had 15 as Utah made a late run to defeat New Mexico 80-69 on Feb. 5. The Utes outscored the Lobos 16-6 to end the game and held New Mexico to just one field goal in the last 5:17.

Travis Spivey scored 12 points and Nate Althoff added 11 as the Utes shot 54 percent to overcome connecting on just 22-of-36 from the line. Ruben Douglas had 20 points for the Lobos, who lost for the 12th straight time in Salt Lake City. Wayland White scored 14 and Eric Chatfield had 13. The Lobos shot 1-11 in the last five minutes.

The Utes, bolstered by the early return of Chris Burgess from an ankle injury, outrebounded New Mexico 23-11 in the second half and have now outrebounded opponents in 53 of their last 55 conference games.

Utah used a four-point play to cap a 10-3 run and take a 71-64 lead with 3:55 to play. Althoff scored on a power move and was fouled. He missed but Johnsen rebounded and scored in the lane. Johnsen, who started for the first time since Dec. 9, scored the first six points of the second half and Utah moved out to a 49-42 advantage. But the Lobos rallied and tied the game at 54 and again at 61 behind Douglas's shooting.

The game was tied 39-39 at halftime as the teams combined for 10 three-pointers. New Mexico shot 60 percent in the period and made 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Johnsen & Johnsen: Britton Named First Team All-District

* Junior forward Britton Johnsen (6-9, 213) was named to the NABC all-district 13 first team last week. Britton is second on the Utah team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (5.8 rpg). Dating back to last season, Britton has scored in double figures in 33 of the last 48 contests-including 19 of the 23 games this season. He earned second team all-Mountain West Conference honors last season.

* Britton scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games Jan. 21 through Feb. 2. During that time, he averaged 24.3 points per game while shooting 65.7 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three-point range. After posting 25 points against New Mexico on Jan. 21, Britton then came back with his second double-double of the season-and the second in four games-with 20 points and 10 rebounds against BYU on Jan. 28. He converted 10-of-12 free throws against the Cougars to set career highs in both makes and attempts. He got a career-high 28 points, shooting 9-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range, against Colorado State on Feb. 2.

* The Murray, Utah, native has led the Utes in rebounding nine of the 13 games since Chris Burgess was injured against Texas. During that stretch, Britton has averaged 7.1 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.

* In Mountain West Conference games, Britton is leading the team in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (57.4).

* Senior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 204) joins his younger brother Britton in the Utah lineup. Jeff, who has started the last 19 games, is third on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), second in assists (2.8 apg) and first in steals (1.4 spg). Jeff has scored in double figures 13 times this season, including 10 of the last 12 games.

* Jeff tied a career-high with 20 points against San Diego State on Feb. 9. He also tied a career-best with five three-pointers and set a personal best with nine attempts. Jeff made 7-of-12 field goals overall and had four rebounds in 32 minutes against the Aztecs.

* In Mountain West Conference games, Jeff is averaging 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He has shot 43.2 percent from three-point range (16-of-37). Jeff had a career-high seven assists against New Mexico on Jan. 21.

* Britton and Jeff combined to score 35 of Utah's 71 points against BYU on Jan. 28, 43 of 67 points against Colorado State on Feb. 2, 33 of 70 points against San Diego State on Feb. 9 and 29 of 59 points against Air Force on Feb. 16.

* 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.

Jacobson Named Second Team All-District

Sophomore guard Nick Jacobson (6-4, 198) was named to the NABC all-district 13 second team last week. Jacobson leads the Utes in scoring (13.1 ppg) and three-point shooting, hitting 45.2 percent and averaging 2.48 makes per game. He has scored in double figures in 15 of the 23 games this season.

* In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Feb. 12, Jacobson was 16th in three-point percentage (45.5).

* In a three-game stretch against UNLV (Jan. 12), San Diego State (Jan. 14) and Air Force (Jan. 19), the Fargo, N.D., native made 16-of-24 (66.7) from beyond the arc. Jacobson put up a career-high 26 points against UNLV. He hit five treys in eight attempts and converted 9-of-15 field goals overall. He had 25 points against San Diego State, 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 as he played the entire 45 minutes. He was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 21.

* Jacobson has already climbed into the 10th place in career three-pointers made at Utah with 94.

* 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).

Getting to the Point with Spivey

* Senior point guard Travis Spivey (6-1, 212) has 103 assists (4.7 per game) to 57 turnovers (1.81:1 ratio) this season. Spivey has had fewer than two turnovers in eight games this season. He is also averaging 6.3 points per game and is second on the team in defensive rebounds (81).

* Spivey had his best scoring game of the conference season with 15 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, against BYU on Jan. 28. He also had three steals in the game. Spivey scored in double figures for the second time in three games with 11 points against Wyoming on Feb. 4. He made 3-of-6 field goals and 2-of-4 three-pointers.

* The Myrtle Beach, S.C., native has had career highs in all three major statistical categories this season. Most recently, Spivey had a career-best 12 rebounds against San Diego State on Feb. 9. He also posted personal bests of 10 assists against Pepperdine on Dec. 1 and 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 (140), fifth in three-pointers attempted (356) and ninth in blocked shots (61). He has started 42 games during his Utah career.

* This season, Cullen is averaging 6.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game off the bench. He is shooting 46.7 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. In Mountain West Conference play, Cullen is averaging 8.6 points per game while connecting on 48.8 percent (21-for-43) of his three-point attempts. He had a season-high 18 points, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers, three rebounds and two blocked shots in 22 minutes against San Diego State on Feb. 9.

* 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 Since Late December with Torn Plantar Fascia

* Senior center/forward Chris Burgess (6-10, 240) has been out the last seven weeks with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Burgess suffered the injury five minutes into the Texas game on Dec. 29. He has missed the last 12 games and will not play Monday against New Mexico.

* 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

* During conference play, junior guard/forward Trace Caton (6-5, 214) has shot 51.3 percent from the field, 52.6 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent at the line to average 6.0 points per game, which is sixth-best on the team. Despite playing off the bench, he is averaging 22.2 minutes per game in league action, which is fifth-best on the team.

* Junior center Cameron Koford (6-11, 230) has had some impressive performances during the Mountain West Conference season. 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 had a Utah career-best eight rebounds in his first start as a Ute. Against Wyoming on Feb. 4, Koford also had eight points and two blocked shots to go with six points against Wyoming on Feb. 4. He played 18 minutes as a starter. In the UNLV game on Feb. 11, Koford had 10 points, hitting all four field goal attempts and both free throws. He also tied his Utah career-best with eight rebounds and set an overall personal best with four blocked shots.

* Freshman guard Eric Osmundson (6-3, 196) tied his career-best by playing 23 minutes against UNLV on Monday. He scored seven points against the Runnin' Rebels, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Air Force Game Rewind

Britton Johnsen scored seven of his 17 points in a 19-5 stretch over the last six minutes, and Utah rallied to beat Air Force 59-51 Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Phil Cullen finished with 13 points and Jeff Johnsen had 12 points for the Utes.

Trace Caton gave Utah (18-5, 8-2 MWC) its first lead at 47-46 with 4:39 to play when he stole the ball and converted two free throws following a foul by A.J. Kuhle on the breakaway. Kuhle led Air Force (9-13, 3-6) with 13 points and Tom Bellairs added 12 points for the Falcons.

The Utes made just one of their first seven shots and did not hit double figures until 4:32 left in the opening half, when Cullen hit a three-pointer to get it to 22-12. Cullen followed with another trey and converted a pair from the line as Utah went on a 13-0 run to tie the game at 22.

Air Force led 28-24 at halftime and took a 46-40 edge on Bellairs' layup with 7:18 to go. The Falcons did not score again until Bellairs converted a layup with one minute left. Lamoni Yazzie hit a three for Air Force with eight seconds to go to cap the scoring.

Both teams shot 17-of-32 from the field (53.1 percent) and committed 14 turnovers. Air Force hit 7-of-14 three-pointers while the Utes made just 5-of-13. Utah had a 24 to 18 edge on the boards.

Utah-Air Force Game Notes

* Dick Hunsaker was Utah's acting head coach in the absence of Rick Majerus, who was suffering from a bronchial infection and a high fever. Hunsaker was 18-12 overall and 10-4 in MWC games last season as Utah's acting head coach.

* Air Force shot 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from three-point range, which is the best mark by a Ute opponent this season.

* Utah had season lows of six assists and 32 field goals against the Falcons.

* It was Utah's 11th consecutive win over Air Force in Salt Lake City.

The Gunnin' Utes Rank Fourth in the Nation in Three-Point Percentage

When the NCAA rankings were released on Tuesday, Utah ranked fourth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (41.4). Individually, sophomore guard Nick Jacobson ranked 16th in the NCAA in three-point percentage (45.5). Currently, Utah is shooting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc while Jacobson is hitting on 45.2 percent of his long-range attempts.

* In the Mountain West Conference overall rankings, Utah is first in three-point percentage (41.3) and first in threes made per game (7.73). In conference play, the Utes are shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range and have made an average of 8.5 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 12 games this season, all of them wins. The Utes have made at least five three-pointers in 17 of the 22 games.

* Three Utes are shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range on the season: Trace Caton (50.0), Phil Cullen (46.7) and Nick Jacobson (45.2).

* Utah hit 59.3 percent (48-of-81) from three-point range during its first four Mountain West Conference games this season. Utah shot blistering percentages of 65.4 (UNLV), 53.8 (San Diego State), 45.5 (Air Force) and 66.7 (New Mexico).

* 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 games only 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.

Seven Straight Championships Best in the Nation

The Utes have won seven consecutive regular-season conference titles and nine overall in the Rick Majerus era, dating back to the 1989-90 season. Utah's string of seven straight titles is tied with Cincinnati's as the longest active streak in the nation.

Utah won the WAC regular-season championship outright in 1991 and shared it in 1993 before winning five straight outright titles from 1995-99 (the last three being divisional titles). Utah went 10-4 in conference play in 1999-2000 to share the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with UNLV. The Utes also went 10-4 in 2000-01 to take the title with Brigham Young and Wyoming.

Inside the Numbers

* In 15 of Utah's 18 wins, the opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field. The exceptions were San Diego State on Jan. 14 (51.9 percent), Colorado State on Feb. 2 (51.0) and Air Force on Feb. 16 (53.1). Conversely, the opposition has shot better than 50 percent in three of Utah's five losses.

* Utah has held eight opponents to 40 percent or less from the field: Boise State, Troy State, Weber State, Southern Utah, Texas, Saint Mary's, New Mexico on Jan. 21 and San Diego State on Feb. 9. Utah held San Diego State to 29.3 percent from the field on Feb. 9, which is the lowest mark by a league opponent this season.

* Utah is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponents this season.

* The Utes have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 14 of their 18 wins and a negative or even ratio in each of the five losses. Ironically, Utah had a season-low seven turnovers in its loss to Wyoming on Feb. 4.

* In 15 of the 18 wins, Utah has held its opponent to 63 points or less. In four of the five losses, the opponents 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 three times when trailing at the half this season, getting wins against Air Force on both Jan. 19 and Feb. 16, and Weber State on Dec. 15. The Utes are 3-3 when behind after 20 minutes this season.

* Utah's 22 turnovers against UNLV on Feb. 11 was a season high. UNLV's 61 field goal attempts in that game equalled the most by Ute opponent this season.

* The UNLV game on Feb. 11 marked the first time this season the Utes lost a game when they shot over 50 percent from the field and shot a better percentage than the opposition. Utah outshot UNLV 52.8 to 41.0 percent.

* 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 411-88. Utah got its 400th win in the history of the facility on Nov. 20 against Boise State.

* The Utes are 180-17 (.914) 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 160-12 (.930) at home. The Utes have won 117 of their last 124 games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

* In conference home games over the past eight years, Utah is 58-2 (.967).

* 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).

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Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on March 7, 2026 , Loss , 75, to, 101

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Colorado on March 3, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 92

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Arizona State on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 60, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #4/5 Iowa State on February 24, 2026 , Loss , 59, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus UCF on February 21, 2026 , Loss , 71, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at West Virginia on February 18, 2026 , Win , 61, to, 56

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Cincinnati on February 15, 2026 , Loss , 65, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #3/3 Houston on February 10, 2026 , Loss , 52, to, 66

The University of Utah Athletics

Utah Hosts New Mexico On ESPN's Big Monday

Game #24

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