SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Kyle Kuzma posted career highs with 23 points and 19 rebounds as Utah defeated Northwest Nazarene 81-37 in its season opener Saturday evening.
Utah fans got their first full glimpse of the new-look Utes and their roster consisting of just two legitimate contributors from last season.
“This morning, I was just extra turned up,” Kuzma said. “I don’t for whatever reason. It’s game day.
“I tried to bring energy. I think that was the biggest thing. When we have energy-givers, then everybody feeds off of that.”
The Utes struggled mightily for the first 16 minutes of the first half until a 17-3 run basically put the game away after they led 36-20 at halftime. Utah shot under 40 percent most of the first half as the offense seemed to have no real direction.
Kuzma started passively, like the rest of the team, but picked up the aggression and finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the first half alone. He highlighted the 17-3 stretch with a spinning floater while being fouled. Teammate Tyler Rawson added 13 points.
“It’s a starting point for us,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. “We had guys that tried to push the issue a little bit too much. Didn’t trust the offense. We cleaned it up a little bit and got some composure in the second half.
“Some of it’s jitters. Got to find some consistency and some roles.”
Northwest Nazarene, which was playing a back-to-back after defeating Simpson University 92-67 on Friday, shot just 16.4 percent from the field and 1 for 25 from behind the arc. Maurice Jones scored 11 points. The 37 points are the fourth fewest Utah has allowed since 1982.
“Obviously, we played a team that was much bigger and more talented to their level,” Northwest Nazarene coach Scott Flemming said. “I never would have thought we would shoot the ball so poorly tonight. We have a really good shooting team. We hit eleven 3s last night against different competition.
“Even the open looks we got, I think that was the biggest problem. Now when you’re not making shots, all of the other things kind of are obvious, too - their rebounding, their size, all those kind of things. It hurts in transition. It still is a good game for us to have.”
BIG PICTURE
Northwest Nazarene: No harm, no foul for the Crusaders. As a Division 2 member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the loss doesn’t count toward their regular-season record. Plus, they have to feel pretty good about the early parts of the first half against a Pac-12 program that has reached the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons.
Utah: There’s lots of work to do for a Utah team with just two returners having played significant minutes. The offense had no flow for much of the game outside of the spurts when Kuzma took over. The defensive intensity came and went. The Utes must improve before Pac-12 play or they will live up (or down) to their preseason pick of finishing No. 8 in the league.
SHORT STAFFED
Utah will be without newcomers David Collette and Sedrick Barefield until the Utes play face Prairie View A&M on Dec. 17. The two will miss the first eight games due to transfer rules, but are expected to be starters once they return. Sophomore Parker Van Dyke, freshman Devon Daniels and redshirt freshman Jayce Johnson started alongside returning starters Kuzma and Lorenzo Bonam.
BALL CONTROL
The Utes had 19 turnovers, including seven from Bonam, who had six at halftime. Krystkowiak said the goal was 12. Bonam struggled all around with just five points and going 0 for 4 after making his first basket.
UP NEXT
Northwest Nazarene: The Crusaders face Portland Bible in Caldwell, Idaho, in the Taco Bell Shootout.
Utah: The Utes host Concordia on Tuesday and Coppin State on Friday as they open the season with three games in six days.
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