'Gift-ed' Utes get win

BOULDER, Colo. — Maybe it was the presence of former Ute Andre Miller right behind the Utah bench. Perhaps it was the extra day off over the weekend. Maybe it was dismal prospect of spending the two-day Christmas break on a losing note.

Whatever it was, the Utah basketball team would like to bottle whatever it displayed Tuesday night in a surprising 77-57 victory over Colorado at the Coors Events Center.

Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas, Utes.

"That's the best Christmas present we could ever have imagined," said Ute senior Nick Jacobson, who scored a game-high 21 points. "It couldn't have been any better than that."

"I'm really happy to see our efforts rewarded," added Ute coach Rick Majerus. "We had a nice defensive effort and we scratched and clawed and kept our hands up. I applaud the players for their effort and energy. We are getting better. I am so happy."

Not many folks saw this one coming, not after three convincing Ute road losses earlier this season, including a 14-point defeat at LSU, less than a week earlier.

The Buffaloes had come into the game at 6-1, barely out of the top 25 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. They had a 15-game home winning streak, the longest ever since the arena opened in 1979, including three home wins by an average of 20 points this season.

On the other hand, the Utes (8-3) were coming off a lackluster win over Cal State Northridge four days earlier and the aforementioned loss at LSU.

However, the Utes came up with by far their best half of the season in the second half when they erased a 32-30 deficit with a sterling defensive effort that held Colorado to 18 percent shooting (4 of 22), while shooting 60 percent themselves (15 of 25).

The Utes began the second half on a 17-4 run and counting the final five minutes of the first half with the second half, the Utes outscored the Buffs by an astounding 58-28 margin.

When the Utes fell behind by 10 points late in the first half, it had looked like a repeat of the earlier losses to Texas Tech, Connecticut and LSU. Even Jacobson said, "Honestly, yeah, it went through my mind."

But the Utes hung in there and were sparked by an unlikely source — center Tim Frost, who sank three 3-pointers from the top of the key in the final six minutes of the half and a another 18-footer from out front to pull the Utes within two at halftime. Frost had made only one 3-pointer all season before Tuesday.