The Runnin’ Utes closed out the Charleston Classic against St. Utah found themselves trailing 19-7 midway through the first. Despite a quick offensive surge out of the gate in the second half, the Utes were unable to slow down the St. John’s offense, ultimately falling 91-82.
Here are the takeaways from the game.
A crucial turnover gave the Utes a win
The Runnin’ Utes struggled against the defensive pressure from St. John’s, causing them to fall out of sync and turn the ball over in crucial moments. With 10:42 left in the second half Daniss Jenkins stole the ball and weaved through defenders to the basket for a quick layup to cap an 8-0 run extending the lead again to 68-60.
Utah was outshot on fast break points 16-5 and outshot 42-32.
Offense started strong in the second half, but it wasn’t enough
Utah started firing right away in the second half with a 7-0 run. The quick burst brought them to within 2 points. Finally, Cole Bajema hit the layup to give the Utes their first lead since the beginning of the game 54-52. After another St. John’s run, Utah cut the lead to 63-60 with 12:23 left after Brandon Carlson hit two free throws. However, St. John’s would extend the lead with 4:18 left to play hitting three straight 3 pointers to build a comfortable 17 point lead.
For the game, Brandon Carlson led the Utes with 22 points and eight rebounds. Cole Bajema added 13 points and three steals. Rollie Worster had 12 points and five steals while Gabe Madsen added 11 points and five rebounds.
Nothing slowed down St. John’s long
Utah led for a brief moment early in the first but it was short lived. The Red Storm would go on a 14-0 run with 16:31 to play in the first half and would never trail in the first half again – leading to an early 52-43 advantage by half
Nothing seemed to work for the Utes on defense to slow down the Red Storm, four out of five starters tallying double figures. Daniss Jenkins directed St. John’s with 19 points, hitting 8 of 17 including 8 assists. Jordan Dingle added another 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Center Chris Ledlum totaled 15 points and nine boards, while Center Joel Soriano finished with a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. conversions. The team hit a total of 13 of 26 3-pointers against Utah.
Up next
Now 3-2 on the season, Utah will begin play on Monday, November 27th on the road against 2-3 St. Mary’s. One of the Gaels’ three losses came against Weber State.
