Coyotes Play Toe-to-Toe with University of Utah

12/28/2015 11:11:00 PM

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Playing before their largest road crowd in school history, the College of Idaho delivered an early jab to a nationally-ranked University of Utah squad, before the Running Utes found their stride, topping the Yotes, 115-74, before a crowd of 12,329 fans inside the Huntsman Center.
 
The Utes (11-2) used a 20-5 run midway through the second half to put away the NAIA Division II school, looking to defeat a Division I program in an exhibition game for the second time in the last 11 years.
 
The Coyotes, playing the game as an exhibition, sprinted out to a 5-0 lead – forcing three Utah turnovers.  Treys by Aitor Zubizarreta, Dominique Jordan and Joey Nebeker – plus a Zubizarreta pull-up jumper pushed the margin to 16-2 four minutes into the game, forcing Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak to call time out.
 
The timeout worked, as Dakarai Tucker canned a trey and Kyle Kuzma recorded back-to-back baskets to get the hosts within 19-15.  Following a Jordan jumper, Utah took the lead for good, scoring the next 12 points – including the first of three first half 3-pointers from Brandon Taylor.
 
Trailing 52-39 at the break, C of I cut the lead to 62-54 with 15-minutes remaining after 3's from Zubizarreta and Marck Coffin, but Tucker canned triples on consecutive possessions – starting the big run that gave the Utes breathing room. 
 
Both Kuzma and Tucker finished with 17 points to lead the Utes – each scoring 11 second half points – with 7-foot center Jakob Poeltl scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Utah shot 63-percent from the field and held a 54-24 edge on the glass.
 
Zubizarreta led all scorers with 19 points, Nebeker had 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks, with Jordan scoring 11.  The Yotes made 14 3-point baskets were the most allowed by Utah this season.
 
C of I returns to action on Wednesday, returning to Cascade Conference play – hosting Evergreen at 7:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Head coach Scott Garson returned to the Huntsman Center, where he was an assistant for five seasons for Rick Majerus at Utah; all 16 C of I players saw action in the game, with reserves Curtis Brever and Andrew Bruce each making two 3-pointers; C of I shot 36-percent for the game – the highest shooting percentage by a Utah opponent since a loss to Wichita State (Savannah State, Duke, Delaware State all shot under 33-percent).