Utah downs High Point, await UW

SEATTLE — You would have thought it was Utah licking its chops to play High Point Tuesday night rather than the other way around.

After seeing film of the Utes play last year, the Panthers — who are picked to win the Big South Conference this year — were quite confident going into the NIT Season Tip-Off game at Washington's Bank of America Arena.

However, following a second-half blitz that left High Point on the wrong end of a 77-64 score that could have been a lot worse, the Panthers were feeling a bit shell-shock.

"When we saw the schedule

come out and that we had Utah, we didn't think they would be this tough, this good, this early," said fifth-year coach Bart Lundy.

"We scouted a team that was a little soft that you could pressure to get them out of things. But they are tough and they are disciplined. They have a good combination with (Luke) Nevill and those guys that can shoot it."

Nevill was nearly unstoppable inside as he scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his 15th career double-double.

"Those guys that can shoot it" were reserves Kim Tillie (4-for-4, 12 points), Johnnie Bryant (4-for-5, 10 points in the second half) and Carlon Brown (3-for-3, 6 points) and starter Stephen Weigh (4-for-8, 11 points).

With the victory, the Utes advance to play Washington on its home court. The Huskies defeated New Jersey Tech in the second game Tuesday night. The winner heads to New York next week for the NIT Final Four.

The Utes got off to a slow start and managed to take a 32-28 lead into halftime. But they came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and built up a 20-point lead midway by the 8-minute mark and coasted home.

"In the first half we were awful at times," said Utah coach Jim Boylen. "But in the second half we were dominating at times. We were in a pretty good groove offensively."

Boylen wasn't happy going into the locker room when High Point hit a last-second 3-pointer to cut the lead to four.

To begin the second half, Tyler Kepkay sank a 3-pointer from the left angle and Weigh followed with one from the right corner. Later Nevill made a traditional three-point play and Lawrence Borha sank a long three and less than six minutes into the half it was 48-33 Utah.

The lead got as high as 23 at 75-52 before the Panthers scored a bunch against several Ute walk-ons in the final two minutes.