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MORAGA, Calif. — Defense (or maybe poor shooting) was the name of the game Monday night.
Saint Mary's started the second half making only one of its first 11 field goal attempts, but Utah still couldn't quite pull away in a back-and-forth contest at the UCU Pavilion in Moraga, California.
Utah even went on a six-minute stretch without making a basket from the field while maintaining a lead. But the Runnin' Utes did enough at the free-throw line — making 12-of-14 during that stretch — to push the lead to 10 before opening up the game to a 15-point lead en route to an eventual 78-71 win on the road over the Gaels.
For Utah (4-2), it was a much-needed Quad 1 win after dropping its last two games at the Charleston Classic ahead of the Thanksgiving break.
"This is a really difficult place to play," Utah head coach Craig Smith said. "It's a very difficult place to win. They have such a great tradition. Randy Bennett's an excellent coach, great program. I know their record is 3-4, but I think at the end of the day, this will be a Quad 1 win for us. We've had a tough schedule."
Not to concede a home loss, Saint Mary's made a late push with just under two minutes left in regulation to cut a 13-point Utah lead down to 4 after three quick made 3-pointers and a driving layup.
"Give them credit, they were just throwing 3s in from everywhere and from everyone," Smith said.
But Utah held serve and hit a majority of its free throws down the stretch to maintain the lead for a quality nonconference win on the road.
"We just showed a lot of toughness, and a lot of grit, and I just thought we had a great competitive spirit tonight," Smith said.
Gabe Madsen and Rollie Worster led Utah with 17 points apiece, while Cole Bajema rounded out Utah's players in double figures with 14 points. Utah finished the night shooting 44% from the floor, with only nine turnovers in the game.
More importantly, though, Utah kept the rebounding margin to a two-rebound deficit against one of the best offensive rebounding team in the country.
Keba Keita, who returned back to the lineup for the first time in more than a week after an injury, wasn't alone in the effort, but he was a big reason for neutralizing Saint Mary's rebounding effort. Keita added quality minutes for the Utes and helped keep Saint Mary's (3-4) at a distance.
The big finished with 4 points, six rebounds — including two key offensive rebounds — one block and steal, but was a noticeable disruptor and "big-time spark" in what Utah needed to come away with a road win in a difficult venue.
"He impacted the game in a major way," Smith said of Keita. "Great offensive rebound, tip score; I thought that gave him a little mojo. I thought he defended the post really, really well. He was so active with his hands, got a couple of steals that created momentum."
Saint Mary's took control of the game early and built up a 6-point lead before Utah went on a 15-3 run that was capped off by six consecutive 3-pointers by the Utes. Utah missed a chance to push the lead to double digits before Saint Mary's fought back and tied the game up 38-38 at the halftime break.
Utah only managed one more 3-point make for the rest of the night, but limited their shots from deep as the game plan shifted to more of an inside game, Smith said.
Aidan Mahaney led the Gaels with 22 points and five assists, while Alex Ducas and Joshua Jefferson combined for 30 points on a night when Saint Mary's shot 42% from the field.
Utah now turns its attention to a neutral court setting Thursday (7 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks) at the Delta Center against an undefeated Hawaii team.
