For half the game, the worst team in the Mountain West Conference made the Utes work for their spot atop the conference standings. Then Lawrence Borha caught fire.
The men’s basketball team extended its season-long win streak to six games behind a 22-point effort from Borha as the Runnin’ Utes spoiled a strong first half from the visiting Falcons to win 74-59. The win extended Utah’s home winning streak to nine games.
Air Force, which has yet to win a game in conference play, shot 55.6 percent in the first half, including 5-for-8 from the 3-point line to take a 28-27 lead over the Utes going into the half. Borha ensured that lead wouldn’t last long. With the Falcons leading 30-29 early in the second half, Borha hit a 3-pointer as part of a nine-point run, which allowed the Utes to take control of the game.
“We’ve all known (Borha’s) a great player and a great shooter, especially once he makes a couple in a row,” said forward Shaun Green. “He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen after that.”
Bohra finished 7-for-8 from the field, including 5-for-6 from the 3-point line. He also made all three of his free-throw attempts. His only miss of the game came at the 9:56 mark in the third quarter.
Although Utah’s second-half effort overshadowed its effort in the first, it’s something the Utes talked about cleaning up.
“We were disappointed with our effort in the first,” said center Luke Nevill. “We missed opportunities, we weren’t protecting the 3-point line and they stung us a couple times. We just got regrouped and said, “We have to look inwards. We have to defend and make shots,’ and that’s what we did.”
The Utes’ offense was able to bust out of the gates in the second after Luka Drca gave up a good look at a 3-point shot and found Borha wide open. The Utes went on an 18-1 run after Anwar Johnson’s opening bucket of the second half to take a 45-31 lead.
“I thought that was an outward sign of an inward commitment to trust,” said head coach Jim Boylen of Drca’s play. “I thought the game changed and I thought it was a heck of a play.”
Utah went on to shoot 71 percent from the field in the second half and 70 percent from the 3-point line. The Utes kept finding themselves open and made 9-of-13 shots they took from the 3-point line in the second half. They finished the game with their second highest 3-point percentage of the season, 53 percent.
Along with Borha, two other players scored in double figures for the Utes. Nevill scored one better than his season average with 18 points and Green backed up his 21-point performance against San Diego State with 13 against the Falcons. Green’s back-to-back effort earned him MWC Player of the Week honors Monday.
Three players scored all but nine of Air Force’s points in Saturday’s contest. Johnson led the Falcons with 18, while Andrew Henke scored nine of his 17 from beyond the arc and Grant Parker scored 11 of his 16 in the first half.
Utah proved again that it is the best free throw shooting team in the MWC, knocking down 14-of-16 shots from the charity stripe. Utah is shooting 78 percent from the free-throw line this season8212;good enough for No. 5 in the nation. The Falcons, who are statistically the worst free throw shooting team in the MWC, shot 57 percent from the line against the Utes.
The Utes also dished out 18 assists on 25 made baskets, which Boylen called key for his team.
“That’s how we have to play to win,” Boylen said. “We have to share it, trust and move it.”
The Runnin’ Utes will have a light week this week. They travel to Fort Collins, Colo., Wednesday and then get the rest of the week off.
Tyler CobbLawrence Borha scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half Saturday against Air Force. Borha led the Utes in scoring in their 59-74 win.