An instate battle Utah actually wins! Nearly 3 weeks after losing their season opener to Southern Utah at home, the Utes picked up a much needed home victory over another instate rival, this time Weber State.
The Wildcats entered the game with a 4-2 record -- both their losses coming to Utah State -- and left Salt Lake with a 67-55 loss to the Utes. Utah now is 2-3 on the season and have now won consecutive home games against mediocre lower-tier D-1A teams. Last Saturday the Utes defeated Rice by a wide margin for their first win of the season.
Luke Nevill scored 24 points on 11 of 12 shooting and was the game's leading scorer. While Shaun Green continued to show improvement this season with a 12 point scoring night. Green also had a team leading 8 rebounds for the Utes, who were actually out rebounded by Weber State, 23 to 24.
Utah's defense held the Wildcats to 41% shooting and 55 points, tying a season low for Weber. Dezmon Harris was their leading scorer with 17 points.
Tonight's game marked the first time former Utah assistant Randy Rahe coached against Giacoletti. Rahe, who spent two years on the bench at Utah, is now 4-3 as head coach with Weber State. Tonight's win was the Utes' 6th straight over Weber, and they now hold a 23-12 all-time series lead against the Wildcats.
The Utes' next game is this Saturday at home against Washington State. Last year Washington State dominated the Utes 69-42 at Key Arena in Seattle. That loss was one in a string of embarrassingly bad losses for the Utes last year. The Cougars are currently undefeated, with a 7-0 record.