Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wasted no time putting up points against an outmatched CSU Bakersfield team Friday night.
The Runnin' Utes opened up the game on a 14-0 run and limited Bakersfield to no baskets until the 12:52 mark in the first half. It was the closest Bakersfield could get as Utah's lead ballooned to as high as 30 in the second half.
It all led to an easy 72-44 victory for Utah over the visiting CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners.
The Utes were led in scoring by Gabe Madsen, who became a one-man highlight reel Friday night in his 25-point performance, including 6-of-9 from behind the 3-point line. Madsen hit from deep, made a transition dunk, had an up-and-under transition layup and was unstoppable against the Roadrunners.
Madsen added three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the win.
The hot shooting night, Madsen said, came after his brother, Mason, scored a go-ahead 3-pointer for Boston College to beat Detroit Mercy earlier in the day. He joked that he had to have a better night than his brother, who finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
"Well, me and (Branden Carlson) were watching my brother play earlier, and he just hit a game winner at Boston College, so we were talking that it's in the Madsen family air tonight to shoot well, so I think that's what it was," Madsen said when asked about his hot-shooting night.
"I said he had to outperform him," Carlson added.
It worked; Gabe Madsen won the day and maintained bragging rights over his brother.
Utah (2-0) had two other players score in double figures, including a 12-point night from Branden Carlson, an additional 13 points from Ben Carlson, who added seven rebounds on a night when Utah outrebounding Bakersfield (1-1) 39-33, and freshman Wilguens Exacte added 10 points.
Antavion Collum led Bakersfield against the Utes with 14 points and four rebounds, and Kaleb Higgins added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
