Alex Jensen wins first game as Utes head coach

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) –  Seydou Traore scored 23 points, 18 of them in the second half, and Don McHenry had 16 for Utah in a season-opening 84-75 win over San Jose State on Monday night.

The win is the first for Utah’s new head coach, Alex Jensen. Jensen played for the Utes from 1994-1995 and 1997-2000. He returns to Utah after previously being an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks.

Traore made 9 of 14 shots from the field, and was 5 of 8 from three-point land. The only Ute who played significant minutes on last year’s team, Keanu Dawes, added 12 points. Terrence Brown also scored 12 for the Utes, who shot 50 percent from the field as a team.

Colby Garland led San Jose with 21 points. JaVaughn Hannah and Yaphet Moundi each had 12. Moundi also recorded a double-double, with 13 rebounds. The Spartans scored the first points of the game, and Utah responded, keeping it close until the Utes went on an 11-3 run with around four minutes left in the first half.

Utah shot 31 for 62 from the field and were 10 for 25 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Utah’s defense forced 10 turnovers in the first half, converting those opportunities into 18 points, compared to the Spartans three points off turnovers. 

Down 64-63 midway through the second frame, a three from Traore at 9:14 gave Utah the 66-64 lead that broke San Jose State’s 7-0 run. Traore took over in the second half, posting 18 points (7-of-8 FG) – 10 more than the next highest scorer on either team. 

From that point forward, the Runnin’ Utes never relinquished their lead and jumped ahead by as many as 12 points before the final buzzer sounded.

Utah next hosts Weber State Saturday at 5:00 p.m.