Utah Utes basketball: Team sweeps tournament with 3-0 mark

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It's been 31 years since the Utah basketball team accomplished what it did this weekend.

The Utes had not won an out-of-town, early season tournament since 1977 until winning the Glen Wilkes Classic over the weekend.

Utah defeated Morgan State 66-37 on Saturday at the Ocean Center to finish with a 3-0 record in the tournament, named for a former local coach here in Florida, and clinch the title.

Rick Majerus' teams never did it, nor did Ray Giacoletti's or Lynn Archibald's. You have to go back to the 1977-78 season when the Utes won the Volunteer Classic in Knoxville under coach Jerry Pimm.

"We're the only undefeated team down here, and it's the first championship this group of guys has had," said Utah coach Jim Boylen. "It's a step. I've said all along we are trying to build a championship program, and we got our first one at the Glenn Wilkes Classic. I'm very proud of my team."

This wasn't your normal tournament where teams advance through a bracket, but there aren't many of those these days. Most have set schedules like this one did. The Utes had beaten Mississippi on Friday night and Green Bay on Tuesday in Salt Lake in their other two games in the tournament.

Even though there are still games today in the seven-team event, Utah is the only unbeaten team. Luke Nevill was named tournament MVP and Lawrence Borha was selected to the all-tournament team.

Nevill led the Utes with 16 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Borha had nine points and four rebounds after getting a team-high 19 points Friday night.

In Saturday's victory, the Utes (3-1) overcame an ugly first half with a 20-2 spurt to start the second half and cruised to the 29-point victory.

It was the first time since 1977 that Utah had held a team under 40 points when it defeated Coppin State of the same Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) by the same 66-37 score.

"That was our game plan to be dominant defensively," said Shaun Green, who had five points and six rebounds. "The key to our success is our defense and we know that our offense is going to come."

"We played hard in the first half, but not enough to create a big break," added Kim Tillie, who finished with 10 points. "We came out ready and made a run. We were very prepared for all of their actions."

The Utes led 26-18 after a poor first half when the two teams combined for more turnovers than made baskets. Utah had 12 turnovers, including six of eight possessions over a six-minute stretch late in the half when they went scoreless before Green sank a 3-pointer.