Runnin' Utes rout Braves on opening night 100-59

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men's basketball team pulled away midway through the first half en route to its 100-59 victory over Alcorn State on Monday night to open the 2024-25 season at home at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

It took a little while for the Utes (1-0) to get the engine going, but the offense finally found its rhythm as the media was down just 16-13 at the 11:45 mark and led 19-19 at halftime went. half points off Gabe Madsen – who finished with a game-high 27 points.

Utah's offense shot well from distance, hitting 10 of its 14 made field goals from long range in the first half. The Runnin' Utes also ran the ball well early on, setting up 13 of their 14 field goals.

Utah got off to a much better start in the second half with an 11-4 run to extend its lead to 61-35 to force a timeout by Alcorn State (0-1) and never looked back.

There are still 5:31 minutes to play, Jake Wahlin hit Utah's 18th 3-pointer of the night, breaking the previous school single-game record Keanu Dawes 19th place was added with 2:55 minutes left.

The Utes had several players make their debut in the red and white, while several also made their collegiate debut. The Madsen twins finished with a total of 42 points, 15 of them Mason Madsenwhile shooting 11 of 19 from 3-point range. Ezra Ausar scored 13 points and 6 rebounds, with 7 of his points coming from the line. Keanu Dawes Utah scored 13 points off the bench with six goals on 4-of-5 shooting. Mike Sharavjamts had an efficient night, scoring 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting and 5 assists. Miro Little filled the statistics with 6 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

AFTERMATH NOTES

• Utah is now 91-26 overall in home openers and 82-13 all-time when those home openers also serve as season openers
• Under their fourth-year head coach, the Utes are now 21-2 at home in non-conference games Craig Smith – including a 10-game winning streak dating back to the 2022-23 season in non-conference games (excludes 3 NIT home wins in the 2023-24 season)
• With 27 points on Monday evening Gabe Madsen Now he needs just 13 points to become the 42nd Runnin' Ute to reach 1,000 career points
• Jake Wahlin made his first career start with Lawson loves on the injured list and had 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 26 minutes of play
• Ayomide Bamisile Scored his first collegiate basket on a putback with 56 seconds to play
• Utah finished the game with 29 assists – the most since 25 dimes against Jacksonville State (12/8/22)
• For the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, Utah has scored more than 100 points in consecutive season-opening games
• Utah's 19 triples are the most of any Big 12 team since Baylor had 19 against Mississippi Valley State on 12/23/23
• As a team, Utah shot .561 from the field (32 for 57) and .500 from distance (19 for 38).
• Utah's 19 three-pointers are the most by a Big 12 Conference team since Baylor vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/23/23)

NEXT

The Utes continue their three-game homestand and begin the 2024-25 season this Thursday, Nov. 7, with a 7 p.m. matchup against Central Arkansas at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Krista Blunk and former Runnin' Utes assistant Joe Cravens will speak again on ESPN+.

For the latest news and information about the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook. X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, via the Apple Store or Google Play.

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