The Runnin’ Utes followed up a disappointing loss to St. John’s at the Charleston Classic with an impressive victory over the St. Mary’s Gaels Monday night. The Gaels were the #1 ranked WCC preseason team, but the size and shooting of the Utes proved to be too much to handle for the home team.

There were a few key takeaways from this one:

Solid Free Throw Shooting and Reduced Turnovers

The Utes had a double-digit with under five minutes to play, and as the game got close, Utah made several key free throws. In the end, they hit 74% of their free throws.

The Utes also struggled with turnovers at the Charleston Classic, and it appeared they might continue that trend in the opening minutes of this game. However, particularly in the second half, Utah was careful with the ball and kept it under 10 turnovers in this one.

The Defensive Intensity Has Improved

The Gaels came out shooting the ball really well in the first half, but the Utes were able to make adjustments at halftime and shut them down in the second half. A big part of that improvement came from a noticeable uptick in intensity on the defensive end and a willingness to get out to cover the shooter beyond the arc.

While he’s not the star of the team, having Keiba Keita back made an enormous difference. He plays with so much energy and makes life so much harder for opposing offenses.

The Utes Got a Lesson in Closing Games

Utah led 67-52 with under five minutes to play. St. Mary’s was able to close that lead to 72-68 with 32 seconds to go. Fortunately, the Utes were able to hit the needed free throws to avoid a complete collapse, but hopefully the scare will help them to be more prepared for similar situations down the road.

Utah tried to milk the clock late in the game, and it really threw off their rhythm. Once they started playing like they usually do, the game went their way.

Up Next

The 4-2 Runnin’ Utes will return to home but for a neutral site game at the Delta Center on Thursday, November 30th to face the undefeated Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

This will be the first true test of the season for Hawaii, as they have played one of the easiest schedules in all of the NCAA.

They are led by senior guard Noel Coleman, who is having a fantastic start to the year, averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.