The Runnin’ Utes took on the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners at home for Military Appreciation night, paying tribute by wearing their USS Salt Lake City uniforms.
The Utes moved to 2-0 on the season, with a convincing 72-44 win over the Roadrunners. The game marked the first time since 2015 that the Runnin’ Utes have held their opponents to under 50 points in back-to-back games, according to Utah's sports information department.
Let’s take a look at the takeaways from the game:
Madsen showcased his scoring ability
Gabe Madsen was on fire all night, with a career-high 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also stole the show with a two-handed slam and then with a wild reverse layup. Madsen would control the pace offensively and defensively topping off the night with three steals, three rebounds, two assists and one block.
This is exactly the type of performance Smith and staff envisioned from him when he transferred from Cincinnati. Now it’s important to just find the consistency in his performance.
Smith tightens his rotation
The Runnin’ Utes’ shortened their rotation in their win over the Roadrunners. Branden Carlson, Lazar Stefanovic, Rollie Worster, and Gabe Madsen were four starters that played 30 minutes while Ben Carlson added another 22 minutes. The bench didn’t see much playing time even with a strong 29 point lead with a little over two minutes left in the game. Wilguens Exacte was the only other player close to 20 minutes, with 18.
Ben Carlson finished the night with 5-of-8 shooting for 13 points and seven rebounds. It was clear that his presence will provide a viable big in the frontcourt, taking pressure off of Branden Carlson. Ben also gave the fans a show with a couple high-powered dunks.
Branden would add another 12 points, six rebounds and 3 assists. Exacte chipped in 10 points, giving Utah four players in double-figures.
Solid performance on both ends of the court
It was a good team effort in tonight's win, Utes’ only allowed CSUB to score 44 points on 29.8 percent shooting and 23.5 percent shooting from deep. Utah would out score the Roadrunners 28-8 in the paint and convert 12 turnovers into 20 points. The Utes also moved the ball well on offense, finishing the game with 19 assists on 25 field goals. Overall the Utes’ would hit 25-52 field goals for 48.1 percent shooting.
The Utes started the game in a 14-0 run, as the Roadrunners were held scoreless for nearly the first six minutes of the game.
Up next
Utah will host Idaho State on Monday at 6 pm and Sam Houston on Thursday. Those two games are their final tune-ups before a difficult challenge against Georgia Tech.
