Kuzma leads the way with 20 points, Collette chips in 16 points
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah men's basketball fans got the chance to preview the 2016-17 team following an intrasquad scrimmage at Night with the Utes Tuesday evening at the Huntsman Center.
The Runnin' Utes split up into two teams (White and Red) and it was the Red Team that came out on top, 72-63, in exhibition play.
The Red Team took a 40-18 lead into halftime on the strength of a 63 percent shooting effort from the field. The Red Team knocked down 17-of-27 overall, which included a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range.
Junior David Collette led the way for the Red Team with 12 points at the break, while freshman Devon Daniels added 10 points through the first 15 minutes of play.
Junior Kyle Kuzma led the White Team with six points at the break, while freshman Jayce Johnson and junior JoJo Zamora added four points. Kuzma added a team-leading six rebounds, a pair of assists and a blocked shot in the half.
A few players switched teams after the break and the White Team managed to outscore the Red Team, 45-32, in the second half, but the Red Team still came away with the nine-point win.
Collete added four points in the second half to finish with a team-leading 16 points overall. He finished the contest 8-for-12 from the field and pulled down four rebounds. Sophomore Sedrick Barefield added 13 points and 10 assists for the Red Team, going 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-4 from downtown. Senior Gabe Bealer chipped in 11 points for the White Team in the second half, converting 4-of-6 from the field and a 2-for-2 effort from the charity stripe.
Kuzma scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half for the White Team. He also managed to post a game-high 10 rebounds and both he and Barefield were the only Utes to register double-doubles in the contest. Kuzma finished the night hitting 8-of-14 from the field and was a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Junior Tyler Rawson added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and senior Lorenzo Bonam added nine points for the Red Team.
Collette and freshman Jakub Jokl led the way with two blocks each, while Barefield, Daniels and sophomore Jake Connor each grabbed one steal on the night.
The Utes return to the court for its season-opener against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Nov. 12. Game time is still TBD.