Nov. 29, 2007

Game #6 - Utah (3-2) vs. UC Irvine (2-4)

Noon MST - Saturday, December 1
Jon M. Huntsman Center
Salt Lake City
Radio: Utah Sports Radio Network
Mike Lageschulte (play-by-play); Joe Cravens (color analyst) TV: The Mtn.
Internet: www.UtahUtes.com live audio, live stats
Series History: Utah leads 7-0 Last Meeting: Utah 83, UC Irvine 45 - Nov. 29, 1997 - Salt Lake City

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Runnin' Utes Return To The Hill, Host Anteaters
The University of Utah men's basketball team returns to home action Saturday, when the Runnin' Utes host the UC Irvine Anteaters at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Tipoff is slated for 12:05 p.m. MST and the game will be televised on The Mtn.

Utah comes into Saturday's matchup with a 3-2 record, coming off a 72-52 throttling of Weber State. Utah struggled to score in the early going against the Wildcats. But a 20-2 run got the Utes back into the game and 72 percent shooting in the second half helped Utah run away and hide.

UC Irvine is 2-4 and coming off an appearance in the Anaheim Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. The Anteaters dropped all three of their games in Anaheim, losing to Mississippi State (68-53), Tennessee-Chattanooga (85-80) and San Diego (60-57).

Utah leads the series with the Anteaters 7-0, but the two teams haven't played in 10 years.

Runnin' Ute Fast Breaks
• Three Utah players are averaging double-digit points per game, while two more average 8.6 or more.
• Through five games last season, Utah was allowing opponents to shoot .506 from the field. So far this season, the Utes are holding opponents to a field-goal percentage of .407.
• Utah held South Carolina Upstate and Weber State to 52 points. The Runnin' Utes did not hold a single 2006-07 opponent to less than 55 points.
• Utah is 34-3 all-time versus current members of the Big West Conferece. The Utes have played seven of the nine Big West teams in the past and have winning records against all seven of them.
• The Utes currently rank No. 1 in the MWC in field-goal percentage, converting at a .527 clip.
• Utah is also the top team in the MWC in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting at a rate of .456.
• Utah plays its next two games at home. The Runnin' Utes only play consecutive home games three times this season. They don't have a homestand longer than two games.

Blaze Of Glory
Utah is the top shooting team in the Mountain West Conference. The Runnin' Utes have made more than half their field-goal attempts in four of their first five games. Utah is still converting at a .527 clip, which is tops in the league. That number was buoyed by a .720 (18-of-25) performance in the second half Wednesday.

Only one other team (New Mexico, .503) is above 50 percent. The Utes are also the best 3-point shooting team in the MWC. Utah has hit 41-of-90 from behind the arc, for a percentage of .456.

Raise Your Hands
Utah is currently tied for the top spot in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots per game. The Utes are rejecting 3.80 shots per game. Utah was one of the worst teams in the conference at blocking shots last season, averaging just 2.2 per game to rank eighth. The Runnin' Utes blocked a season-high six shots at Weber State Wednesday night.

Keep The Faith
Junior forward Shaun Green was Utah's third-leading scorer in 2006-07, averaging 11.1 points per game and shooting .512 from 3-point range. Coming into Wednesday's game at Weber State, Green was scoring just 1.8 points per game. But Green, his coaches and teammates kept the faith in his scoring ability and it paid off vs. the Wildcats. Green hit a career-high six 3-pointers, scoring a season- and game-high 18 points. Meanwhile, he's still the team leader in minutes (28.2), second in assists (2.8) and second in blocks (1.2).

Have A Nice Day
Junior guard Lawrence Borha is in the starting lineup for his defensive ability against the opponents' best scoring guard. Through two exhibitions and five regular-season games, Borha's main defensive responsibilities have not had nice days against the Utes. They have combined to shoot 16-for-54 (.296) from the field. Borha has also showed some offensive firepower. In the season-opener, he scored a career-high 20 points. Borha's .667 (8-of-12) 3-point percentage is tops in the Mountain West Conference.

-UU-