Utah enters its ESPN Big Monday matchup against BYU with an 11-game winning streak, not having lost since Dec. 4. The Utes also own a 46-game home conference winning streak, dating back to 1996.
BYU has won its last four games televised on ESPN, but the Cougs have lost two consecutive games, and their last five away games.
But, as rivalries go, records are thrown out the door when the U and the Y compete.
The game is the 231st between the Utes (14-3, 4-0 Mountain West Conference) and Cougars (12-5, 2-2 MWC), with the series even at 115 115.
Both teams are in the hunt for the Old Oquirrh Bucket. The bucket goes to the Utah school (Utah, BYU, Weber State, Utah State and Southern Utah University) that has the best record against each another. Both Utah and BYU are 2-1 in in-state games this year.
The Utes are coming off their most impressive win of the season. Entering New Mexico’s Pit with both teams undefeated in the MWC, the U handed the Lobos a demoralizing 81-51 defeat.
New Mexico’s second-leading scorer, Marlon Parmer, quit the team days later, after making comments that UNM coach Fran Fraschilla was outcoached.
While the game sent the Lobos spiraling out of control, U coach Rick Majerus said he was happy about the win, because of the execution of the defensive game plan.
Parmer was held scoreless, and Utah held UNM to 38.3 percent shooting.
Meanwhile, the 3-point shot was falling again for Utah. Utah was 12-for-18 (67 percent) from 3-range.
If the Utes keep up their inconceivable marksmanship, it will remain an effective winning formula since the inside game’s disappearance with the injury to center Chris Burgess.
As a team, Utah ranks No. 1 in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 44.8 percent of its attempts.
Nick Jacobson, who was quiet against UNM with 2 points in 11 minutes, leads the U with a 15.3 scoring average. His own 52.5 percent shooting from the 3-point stripe ranks fourth in the NCAA.
With Jacobson in foul trouble, junior Britton Johnsen took over. Johnsen scored 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
“Britton is making progress, but it comes inch by inch,” Majerus said. “He’s trying to be more physical inside.”
Johnsen has led the team in rebounding six of the team’s seven games since Burgess went down (7.2 rpg).
Turnovers is another area the Utes have improved since early season. In Utah’s three losses, the Utes averaged 18.3 turnovers. In its win over the Lobos, Utah had 8 turnovers, compared to 21 assists.
As for BYU, forward Mark Bigelow is fifth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points a game. Senior guard Matt Montague leads the MWC with 7.06 assists per game.