Dec. 10, Salt Lake City
Utah 69, Southern Utah 53
Bryant Markson’s 17 points led four Utes in double figures as the U knocked off its southern rivals at the Huntsman Center. Utah shot 55.3 percent from the field and overcame 18 turnovers against a scrappy Thunderbird team. Shaun Green, Chris Jackson and Johnnie Bryant also had double digits in points, with 16, 15 and 13, respectively.
Dec. 17, Salt Lake City
Arizona 73, Utah 43
A combination of 24 turnovers and a quick Wildcat team made for a nightmarish afternoon for the Utes on national television. Wildcat guard Hassan Adams hit 13-of-19 shots for 27 points as the ‘Cats blew open a close game in the second half. Markson was the only bright spot for the Utes, ringing up 19 points and eight rebounds. The loss snapped the Utes’ 21-game home winning streak, the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
Dec. 19, Salt Lake City
Utah 68, Adams State 52
The Utes momentarily got back on their feet, as they jumped out to a 14-point halftime lead against the overmatched Grizzlies and cruised to the victory. Markson and Luke Nevill both chipped in 12 points for Utah, while Green had 16 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range.
Dec. 22, Seattle
Washington State 69, Utah 42
The Utes’ Pacific-10 woes continued as the Cougars jumped all over Utah from the opening tip. Washington State built a 39-14 lead by halftime, and the Utes could not threaten in the second half. Nevill was the only U player in double figures, getting 10 points and six rebounds.
Dec. 28, Salt Lake City
Utah 80, High Point 44
The Panthers proved no match for an angry Ute squad on a coming-out night for JUCO transfer Ricky Johns. Johns went 7-of-9 from the field to finish with 16 points in the rout. Jackson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, dominating the diminutive High Point post players.
Jan. 4, Salt Lake City
Utah 64, New Mexico 49
In both teams’ conference openers, the defending MWC regular season champs proved mightier than the defending MWC tournament winners. The Utes never trailed, as Markson went off for a career-high 24 points. The Utes bucked a recent trend by only committing 12 turnovers on the night, while holding the Lobos to 32 percent shooting.