The University of Utah Runnin' Utes took care of business at home on Tuesday night, beating the Queens University of Charlotte Royals, 96 to 65. Utah was the superior team all night, but the feisty Royals kept out close enough to keep it interesting until about the final 8 minutes when the Utes finally broke the game open.

Here are our takeaways from the game:

Utah Maintained Control From Start to Finish

While it was not unexpected for Utah to win this game by a large margin, it was nice to see them control the game from the opening tip. Although it started slow, the Runnin’ Utes led by as many as 19 late in the first half and kept Queens at arms length in the second half.

Even though the Royals continuously fought back most of the second half, Utah was its own worst enemy with some missed shots in the paint and defensive lapses that the Royals took advantage of to keep the game interesting. Utah won the rebounding game 47 to 28, but barely won the points in the paint battle, 36 to 28. Many of the 13 turnovers were self-inflicted, such as three traveling calls in the first half.

Mike Sharavjamts' Fingerprints Were All Over This Game

Queens made it a point to try to limit Utah from beyond the arc, and Sharavjamts responded by attacking the rim throughout the game, which eventually helped open outside shots for everyone else, and later on, himself.

He finished the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and only 1 turnover. Sharavjamts has made it a habit to stuff the stat sheet this season, finishing every game so far with at least 10 points, 5 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.

He just seems to be at the right place at the right time all throughout the game, and his presence on the court elevates the play of his teammates around him.

Utah has had turnover troubles in the past, but Sharavjamts is busting that trend, as he's only had 4 turnovers in the first 3 games. This is the kind of player that can help a team to eventually get a tourney berth.

This Is A Very Cohesive Team Already

It's a small sample size just three games in, but this team seems to play with a very high basketball IQ. They look like they know what they want to do and where they can go if they get in trouble on offense, and they move well together on defense. They execute at a high level, highlighted by the high shooting percentages from behind the arc so far.

Time will tell how this team develops, but the first few games are a really good starting point. This team is athletic, but they don't try to rely on their athleticism to beat teams. Instead, they use their knowledge of their sets to move into the spots they want. They beat the full court press and traps with ease and knew where all their options were when Queens attempted to disrupt the Utes' offense.

There are still mental lapses on both offense and defense, but the mental stamina should continue to build and those mistakes will happen less frequently. This team will not be able to afford to have moments off during a loaded Big 12 conference slate, but Craig Smith appears to have this squad built on a strong foundation.

Up Next

The Runnin’ Utes face their first road test of the season in the Mid-South Showdown on Sunday, November 17th against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2 PM Mountain Time on ESPN2.