The Utes scored the first basket of the game and never lost the lead in their 59-44 exhibition win against Grand Valley State University on Saturday.
Utah senior point guard Tyler Kepkay led the way in scoring for the Utes with 26 points. He went 8-for-14 from the field, including 5-for-7 from behind the arc8212;four of which came in the first half. The game plan was designed for Kepkay to get a lot of open looks.
“My teammates set great screens, we have great sets,” Kepkay said. “When my teammates set great screens for me, it’s easy to get open.”
Pre-season first-team All-Mountain West Conference center Luke Nevill didn’t have the game head coach Jim Boylen had in mind. He finished the game with only five points on 1-of-4 shooting, but tied with a game-high eight rebounds.
“(Nevill) had 10 touches at halftime, we try to get him 22 to 25 touches (per game),” Boylen said. “It doesn’t mean he shoots it, but we’ll evaluate it and move on. You know he’s going to get the ball in our system.”
Although they held a 22-point lead at one point during the game, the Utes shot 38 percent from the field and only 26 percent from the 3-point line. Kepkay was the only Ute to score in double digits, while freshman guard Jordan Cyphers was the second leading scorer with eight points. All in all, nine players scored for the Utes against GVSU.
“I didn’t think we shot the ball very well today,” Boylen said. “But if you play defense, you can win a game in the 50s.”
Defense is something the Utes did perform well Saturday. The Lakers shot 30 percent from the field after taking 50 shots. Utah hounded and contended on shots on every play. Other than the defense and shooting, the Utes outrebounded the Lakers 38-35 and Utah’s transition game was solid.
Almost every player on the roster saw some playing time against GVSU.
“We always hear that defense wins championships,” said Ute forward Shaun Green. “Our defense is what we’re trying to improve on in these preseason games, before we go on to conference.”
GVSU matched their loss total in their first game of the season. They didn’t have any starters over 6-feet-7-inches and were outsized at almost every position. The leading scorer for the Lakers was guard Justin Ringler, who finished with 11 points. Two other players scored in double digits.
The Utes’ next game is set for Nov. 15 against Southwest Baptist at 2 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.
Tyler CobbTyler Kepkay drives to the basket during an exhibition game on against Grand Valley State on Saturday. Kepkay was the Utes leading scorer with 26 points.