Beehive State Rivals Collide Saturday In Provo

Feb. 20, 2002

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Game #25

Utah Runnin' Utes (19-5, 9-2 MWC) vs. Brigham Young Cougars (16-8, 6-5 MWC)

Feb. 23 * 1:07 p.m. (MST) * Marriott Center (22,700) * Provo, Utah

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: 280-78/13th Season  Record at BYU: 83-65/5th SeasonOverall Record: 381-130/18th Season Overall Record: 83-65/5th Season
Television: ESPN Regional (Shown on KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City).Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (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 116-115Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 69-46/44-63/3-6Last Meeting: Utah defeated BYU 71-66 on Jan. 28, 2002 in Salt Lake City.
Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Statistics35  F   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. 10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. 13.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg13  C   Cameron Koford 6-11    230 Jr. 3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. 6.5 ppg, 4.7 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. 13.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani 6-3 203 Fr. 1.1 ppg, 0.8 apg21  G/F Trace Caton   6-5 214 Jr. 5.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg32  G   Eric Osmundson 6-3 196 Fr. 2.0 ppg, 1.0 apg40  F/C Phil Cullen   6-9 221 Sr. 6.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg41  C   Lance Allred 6-10    239 So. 2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Brigham Young Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Statistics3   F   Mark Bigelow    6-7 190 So. 15.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg25  F   Eric Nielsen    6-9 215 Sr. 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg52  C   Jared Jensen    6-9 240 Fr. 9.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg2   F   Travis Hansen   6-6 210 Jr. 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg31  G   Matt Montague   6-0 190 Sr. 6.6 ppg, 7.5 apg

After This

The Runnin' Utes close out the regular season next week on the eastern range of the Rockies. Utah plays at Colorado State on Thursday (Feb. 28) at 7:07 p.m. MST) and at Wyoming on Saturday (March 2) at 1:07 p.m (MST). Both games can be seen on KJZZ-TV. The Utah vs. Wyoming game will also be shown regionally on ESPN+Plus as the MWC "Game of the Week."

Quickly On Utah

The Runnin' Utes are 19-5 overall and in first place in the Mountain West Conference with a 9-2 record heading into Saturday's game against Brigham Young in Provo, Utah, at 1:07 p.m. (MST). Utah will play its final three regular season games on the road over the next two weeks. The Utes are 5-2 on opponents' home courts this season, including a 3-1 mark in conference games. Since starting out 3-3, the Utes have won 16 of the last 18 contests.

Last weekend, the Runnin' Utes closed out their regular-season home schedule with a pair of wins. Utah defeated Air Force 59-51 on Saturday and held off New Mexico 66-65 on Monday.

Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen leads the Runnin' Utes in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding. Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson is second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), shooting 45.0 percent (59-of-131) from three-point range. He ranked 21st in the nation in three-point percentage as of Tuesday. Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (4.7 apg). Senior 6-4 guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is third in scoring (10.2 ppg), second in assists (2.9 apg) and first in steals (1.4 spg).

As of Tuesday when the NCAA rankings were released, Utah was 11th in the nation in scoring defense (60.0 ppg) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (41.3).

Utes Runnin' Toward 10th 20-Win Season Under Majerus

With its next win, Utah will reach the 20 wins plateau for the 10th time in 13 years under Rick Majerus. Two of those years he did not coach the entire season. The Utes have won 20 games in each of the last six seasons with Majerus on the bench (he missed all but the first game of last season when Utah finished 19-12). Majerus' 20-win seasons at Utah: 1990-91 (30-4), 1991-92 (24-11), 1992-93 (24-7), 1994-95 (28-6), 1995-96 (27-7), 1996-97 (29-4), 1997-98 (30-4), 1998-99 (28-5), 1999-2000 (23-9).

Scouting Brigham Young

The Cougars are 16-8 overall and tied for third place in Mountain West Conference with a 6-5 record. Brigham Young has won four of its last six games, including two wins last weekend at home in the Marriott Center. The Cougars defeated New Mexico 68-62 on Saturday afternoon and throttled Air Force 67-51 on Monday night. Owning the nation's longest homecourt winning streak at 34 games, BYU is 14-0 at home this season and has won all six previous conference games.

Junior 6-6 guard/forward Travis Hansen is seventh in the MWC in scoring (15.5 ppg), seventh in three-point percentage (42.4) and seventh in rebounding (6.5 rpg). Sophomore 6-7 guard/forward Mark Bigelow ranks ninth in the MWC in scoring (15.1 ppg), 10th in three-point percentage (41.1), fifth in three-pointers made per game (2.12) and sixth in free throw percentage (80.4). Freshman 6-9 forward/center Jared Jensen averages 9.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, and leads the conference in field goal percentage (61.9). Senior 6-9 forward Eric Nielsen is 12th in rebounding (5.0 rpg) and averages 10.0 points per game. Senior 6-0 guard Matt Montague ranks fourth in the NCAA and leads the MWC in assists (7.5 apg). He is also averaging 6.6 points per game.

Brigham Young ranks fifth in the Mountain West in scoring offense (71.6 ppg), third in scoring defense (64.1 ppg) and fifth in rebound margin (+3.5). In the NCAA rankings released on Tuesday, BYU was seventh in the nation in free throw percentage (76.9), 22nd in three-point percentage (40.0) and 23rd in field goal percentage (47.8).

Comparing the Stats

            Utah    BYUScoring         68.1    71.6Scoring Defense 60.0    64.1FG%         .474    .478FG% Defense .436    .4173-Pt. FG%   .413    .4003-Pt. FG% Def.  .303    .299FT%         .696    .769Rebound Margin  +1.3    +3.5Assists         15.0    14.5Turnovers   13.6    13.6Opp. Turnovers  14.0    12.3Steals          6.3 4.9

Head Coach Steve Cleveland

Steve Cleveland is in his fifth season at BYU and has an 83-65 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 232nd time on Saturday afternoon. 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 Runnin' Utes lead the all-time series 116-115 and have won 14 of the last 16 meetings. Utah took the first game this season 71-66 on Jan. 28 in Salt Lake City.

* In conference regular season play, Utah has a 113-109 edge.

* In Provo, the Cougars lead 63-44. Before winning 69-61 on Jan. 29 last season, BYU had lost five in a row to Utah in the Marriott Center.

* Utah's most decisive win over BYU during the Rick Majerus era was 36 points (85-49) on Feb. 6, 1997 in Salt Lake City.

* BYU's most decisive win against Utah under Rick Majerus was 31 points (96-65) on March 10, 1994 in the WAC Tournament.

* Rick Majerus is 17-9 against BYU all-time with all of those games taking place during his tenure at Utah. He is 9-2 in Salt Lake City and 7-3 in Provo.

* Steve Cleveland is 2-9 against Utah.

The Old Oquirrh Bucket

Saturday's game concludes the bids of Utah and BYU 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.

This season in the in-state battles, Utah is 3-1 and BYU is 2-2. Both teams have with wins over Weber State and Southern Utah and a loss to Utah State. The Utes have a one game advantage thanks to their win over BYU in Salt Lake City on Jan. 28. A win by the Cougars on Saturday would bring them into a tie with the Utes. In that case, Utah State would win the trophy with a 2-1 record and a .667 winning percentage. Its loss came to Weber State.

The Last Time Around

Britton Johnsen scored 20 points and Travis Spivey had seven of his 15 points in the last 3:03 as Utah survived a late rally to beat BYU 71-66 on Jan. 28 in Salt Lake City. Travis Hansen led BYU with 22 points while Matt Montague had 13. The Utes extended their winning streak to 12 straight and beat BYU for the eighth straight time in Salt Lake City.

The Utes pulled away from a 17-17 tie midway through the first half with a 14-3 run over a six-minute span. That burst included two free throws by Jeff Johnsen and four straight Utah baskets.

However, Utah committed seven of its 11 turnovers in the second half after taking a 34-22 lead at the break, helping the Cougars stay close. The Utes seemed close to locking up a win with a 53-43 lead after BYU center Eric Nielsen, who scored 10, fouled out with 8:36 remaining. Even with Nielsen out, BYU stayed within striking distance and pulled within 53-45 on Montague's bucket with 8:09 remaining.

BYU cut the margin to 50-56 with 3:52 remaining on Mark Bigelow's two free throws. The Cougars pulled within 60-57 with 3:22 remaining after Daniel Bobik made one-of-two free throws. But Spivey scored five straight and had a big steal to help the Utes go ahead 65-57 with 2:47 to go.

BYU wasn't through as Montague made a layup with 20 seconds remaining to cut the Ute lead to 67-64. Spivey and Trace Caton then added two free throws each in the final 19.6 seconds to preserve the win.

The Cougars outshot the Utes 43.6 to 42.0 percent from the field and had a 36 to 29 edge on the boards. Utah also managed to shoot just 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from three-point range. The difference in the game was Utah forcing BYU into 17 turnovers while committing 11 of its own and making 25-of-31 free throws. Utah put BYU at the line just 15 times.

Last Year in Provo

Trent Whiting scored 21 points to lead BYU to a 69-61 win over Utah last season at the Marriott Center on Jan. 29.

BYU took control of the game midway through the second half. The Cougars went on a 9-0 run that opened a 49-34 lead with 11:16 to play. Utah cut the lead to 11, but an 8-0 run by the Cougars gave them a 60-41 lead with 7:47 remaining. Utah made a late run, getting within eight points, but BYU put the game away at the free throw line.

Mekeli Wesley scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half for BYU and Terrell Lyday added 14. Nick Jacobson led Utah with 11 points.

BYU had lost 11 straight regular season games to Utah dating back to the 1994-95 season. The Cougars had not beaten Utah at home since a 54-47 win Jan. 3, 1995.

The Utes had a 42 to 26 advantage on the boards, but were outshot 45.8 to 39.2 percent from the field and 52.6 (10-of-19) to 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from three-point range. The Utes also had 20 turnovers.

Great Britton: Johnsen Named First Team All-District

Junior forward Britton Johnsen (6-9, 213) was named to the NABC/Pontiac All-District 13 first team on Feb. 12. Britton leads the Utes in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg). Dating back to last season, Johnsen has scored in double figures in 34 of the last 49 contests-including 20 of the 24 games this season. He earned second team all-Mountain West Conference honors in 2000-01.

* Johnsen had his third double-double of the year with 23 points-the third highest total this season-and a season-high tying 11 rebounds against New Mexico on Feb. 18. He shot 6-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range and 8-of-12 at the line to go with five assists in 31 minutes. Johnsen also made the winning free throw with 7.6 seconds left in the 66-65 win over the Lobos.

* The Murray, Utah, native has led the Utes in rebounding 10 of the 14 games since starting center Chris Burgess was injured against Texas. During that stretch, Johnsen has averaged 7.4 rebounds per game.

* In Mountain West Conference games, Britton is leading the team in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (57.7). Johnsen is also shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.

* Johnsen 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, Johnsen 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. For his efforts, Johnsen was named the MWC Player of the Week on Feb. 4.

Jeff: The Older Half of Johnsen & Johnsen

Senior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 204) joins his younger brother Britton in the Utah lineup. Jeff, who has started the last 20 games, is third on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), second in assists (2.9 apg) and first in steals (1.4 spg). Johnsen has scored in double figures 13 times this season, including 10 of the last 13 games.

* Johnsen 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. Johnsen made 7-of-12 field goals overall and had four rebounds in 32 minutes against the Aztecs.

* In Mountain West Conference games, Johnsen is averaging 12.1 points (second-best on the team), 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He has shot 41.0 percent from three-point range (16-of-39). Johnsen had a career-high of seven assists against New Mexico on both Feb. 18 and Jan. 21.

* Jeff and Britton Johnsen 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/Pontiac All-District 13 second team on Feb. 12. Jacobson is second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and leads the way in three-point shooting, hitting 45.0 percent and averaging 2.46 makes per game. He has scored in double figures in 16 of the 24 games this season.

* In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Feb. 19, Jacobson was 21st in three-point percentage (45.0).

* 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 ninth place in career three-pointers made at Utah with 96.

* 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 107 assists (4.7 per game) to 59 turnovers (1.81:1 ratio) this season. Spivey has had fewer than two turnovers in eight games this season. He is also averaging 6.5 points per game and is second on the team in defensive rebounds (84).

* Spivey has picked up his scoring during the Mountain West Conference season. He has averaged 7.2 points per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. 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 third time in the conference season with 12 points, hitting 5-of-9 from the field and both three-point attempts, against New Mexico on Feb. 18.

* 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 rounded into form 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), fourth in three-pointers attempted (358) and ninth in blocked shots (61). He has started 42 games during his Utah career.

* This season, Cullen is averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game off the bench. He is shooting 45.5 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 7.9 points per game while connecting on 46.7 percent (21-for-45) 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.

Take Note of These Utes

* During conference play, junior guard/forward Trace Caton (6-5, 214) has shot 50.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from beyond the arc and 84.6 percent at the line to average 5.8 points per game, which is sixth-best on the team. 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) has had some impressive performances during the Mountain West Conference season. He has had at least two blocked shots in five league games. 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.

New Mexico Game Rewind

Britton Johnsen scored 23 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 7.6 seconds left, as Utah edged New Mexico 66-65 Monday night in Salt Lake City. Travis Spivey, in his final home game on Senior Night, scored 12 points and Nick Jacobson added 10 for the Utes. Rick Majerus made his return to the bench after missing the Air Force game on Saturday with a bronchial infection.

Eric Chatfield missed a leaning 18-foot jumper just before the buzzer as Utah (19-5, 9-2 MWC) escaped. Chatfield and Patrick Dennehy had 16 points each for the Lobos (14-10, 4-6 MWC), who have lost four of their last five games.

Utah had only one field goal and one free throw in the final six minutes. Spivey scored inside to put Utah ahead 65-54 with 3:27 to play. But Chatfield hit two three-pointers in a 11-0 Lobo spurt to tie the game with 0:42 left. Johnsen, who had 11 rebounds and five assists, rebounded Jacobson's jumper to beat the shot clock with nine seconds to play and was fouled underneath. He missed his first foul shot but made the second for the win, which marked Utah's 12th straight over New Mexico at home.

New Mexico held Utah in single digits until 8:32 remained in the first half. The Lobos led 25-14 on Tim Lightfoot's three-pointer before Johnsen scored seven points in a 16-0 run. Jacobson gave Utah its first lead of the game at 26-25 on two free throws resulting from a technical on UNM coach Fran Fraschilla in the midst of the Ute surge.

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

When the NCAA rankings were released on Tuesday, Utah ranked eighth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (41.3). Individually, sophomore guard Nick Jacobson ranked 21st in the NCAA in three-point percentage (45.0).

* In the Mountain West Conference overall rankings, Utah is first in three-point percentage (41.3) and first in threes made per game (7.8). 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 has shot at least 40 percent from three-point range in 13 games this season, all of them wins. The Utes have made at least five three-pointers in 18 of the 24 games.

* Three Utes are shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range on the season: Trace Caton (48.9), Phil Cullen (45.5) and Nick Jacobson (45.0).

* 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).

Shooting Their Way Into the Record Books

On their way to becoming one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation this season, the Gunnin' Utes have put up some of the best marks in Utah and Mountian West history.

* 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.

* 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 and second in school history. This year's team, currently shooting 41.3 percent, is on pace to eclipse that 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

* The Utes have been winning the close ones this season. Utah is 8-0 in games decided by seven points or less.

* In 15 of Utah's 19 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), Air Force on Feb. 16 (53.1) and New Mexico on Feb. 18 (50.0). 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 15 of their 19 wins and a negative or even ratio in each of the five losses. Utah had a season-low five turnovers in its win over New Mexico on Feb. 18.

* In 15 of the 19 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.

* Air Force shot 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from three-point range on Feb. 16, which is the best mark by a Ute opponent 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.

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Beehive State Rivals Collide Saturday In Provo

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