The Runnin’ Utes cruised to a 92-81 victory against the UCLA Bruins on Senior Day. While the score was closer than the game appeared, the outcome was never really in doubt, as Utah jumped out to an early sizable lead.

Here are the takeaways from the game:

Live by the three, die by the three

The Runnin' Utes hit 17 threes in the game and is a big reason why they led by 20 in the first half. A cold spell from three-point range late in the second half helped UCLA draw within striking distance, but clutch back-to-back threes by seniors Parker Van Dyke and Sedrick Barfield with a couple minutes to go extended the lead and extinguished any hope for a late revenge comeback for the Bruins.

Morley stepped up when needed the most

With Jayce Johnson missing his second game in a row and Novak Topalovich struggling on both ends of the court, the Utes needed someone to step up and provide some sort of presence in the paint. Enter Brandon Morley, a walk-on who has proven over the last few weeks that he can be a valuable asset to the team when they need him the most. Against the Bruins, Morley finished with eight pounds and nine rebounds. He is also more of an outside shooting threat than your typical 7-footer, and nailed a three late in the first half to help Utah take the momentum into the locker room.

Though the Utes will have Johnson back next year, while also getting Lahat Thioune back from injury and adding freshman bigs Brandon Carlson and Matt Van Komen, Morley is making a case for more playing time next season. If a scholarship opens up, it wouldn't be surprising to see Morley be near the top of the list to receive it.

The Tillman and Allen combo is working and it's working well

It’s something we’ve been wanting to see for a long time and three games in, the Utes are 2-1. Most importantly, both Donnie Tillman and Timmy Allen are proving that they can play off of each other, as Tillman is also taking his rugged style consistently to the three-point line. Against the Bruins, Allen finished with 17 points, displaying a confidence and swagger that this team desperately needs, while Tillman drilled 4-7 threes and played suffocating defense. Now, the hope is that freshman Riley Battin can find some comfort and consistency off of the bench, where he performed well against the Bruins. This is a lineup that could cause problems for opponents in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament.

Up next

As the no. 3 seed, the Utes will await the winner of the Oregon vs. Washington State matchup. While the Ducks could cause Utah some problems, they wouldn’t have to face by far their toughest matchup, until the championship game against the Washington Huskies.

Now the fun begins, as the Runnin’ Utes could be your ultimate March Madness team, thanks to their shooting… or they could be one-and-done in the Pac-12 tournament.