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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Despite missing the first eight games of
the season with a knee injury, it hasn't taken Utah's Hanno Mottola
long to return to form.
Mottola, in his fifth game back, scored 20 points and grabbed 10
rebounds in Utah's (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 21 AP) 73-56 win over Southern Utah on Saturday night to help lead the Utes (11-2) to their ninth straight victory.
Mottola, a senior preseason All-American, is averaging 24 points
since his return.
"I wasn't sharp tonight, and I'm not happy with my game,"
Mottola said. "I tend to get up for the bigger games and not up
for the smaller games."
Mottola will get his chance in a bigger game Thursday, as the
Utes play Louisville in their final non-league game.
Utah senior Alex Jensen scored 15 points on career-high five
3-pointers as the Utes won their 45th straight at home, one shy of
the nation's longest current streak held by Murray State.
Jeff Monoco led the Thunderbirds (4-8) with 13 points, while
Tyson Hancock and Frederick House each scored 12.
The Utes held Southern Utah to 42.3 percent shooting (22-for-52)
and outrebounded the Thunderbirds 39-22.
Utah center Nate Althoff had 13 points and eight rebounds in 17
minutes in his first game since spraining his left ankle Dec. 17.
"We gave up a lot of easy baskets, and didn't score much off
their turnovers, especially in the second half," Southern Utah
coach Bill Evans said. "Utah forces you to do a lot of things you
don't want to do. Hopefully, a game like this can make us better if
we aren't defeated mentally."
Utah, which led by 10 points at halftime, took its largest lead
at 72-54 on a dunk by Jeff Johnsen with 1:23 remaining.
Mottola's jumper with 12:18 remaining stretched Utah's lead to
54-37. The Thunderbirds got within 59-48 with 6:50 to play on a
layup by House, but no closer. Jensen hit his fourth 3-pointer at
the 6:27 mark and Mottola made two free throws 39 seconds later to
make it 64-48. Jensen's last 3-pointer came with 3:26 and made it
67-52.
"Their defense caused us a lot of trouble," Utah's Phil Cullen
said. "It caused us to speed up our offense. We didn't play real
well as a team in this game."
Monoco's 3-pointer with 9:46 left in the first half tied the
game 14-14. The Utes went on an 18-2 run with Mottola scoring six
of the points to take a 37-27 lead at halftime.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Southern Utah Clubhouse
Utah Clubhouse
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