After losing three straight on their trip to Australia, the Runnin' Utes bounced back with a dominate 92-71 victory over Rockhampton, a team in the Australian Basketball Association.
The Utes were led by Luke Nevill, who exploded for 37 points, while Stephen Weigh pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. This victory is Utah's second of the trip and after a days rest, the Utes return to competition, facing the defending NBL champion Brisbane Bullets.
Jim Boylen had this to say about Utah's victory:
"I thought he had great energy tonight. I'm really proud of his 14 rebounds. I have been challenging him to get more boards and become a complete player.
On Luke Nevill and Johnnie Bryant coming off the bench again:
"My goal for Luke is for him to become a consistent player at both ends of the floor. The last two games, he has showed more grit and determination to try and become the best player he can be. Johnnie seems to be embracing the role of coming off the bench and has played better as a result. I thought he did a better job of leading us tonight."
On the team's defense tonight:
"The emphasis from day one of practice was for us to become more of a defensive team. We need to take more pride in our defense individually and as a team. I think we took another baby step in that direction tonight."
On what he wants to get done the rest of the trip:
"I'm thankful for the off day tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to playing against the NBL Champions from Brisbane. It will be a great opportunity to play against the best team in the country and see where we stack up. One of the main draws for going on this trip was the high caliber of competition we would be facing. Playing against teams with such skilled, veteran players is only going to make us tougher."