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SALT LAKE CITY — Washington transfer Cole Bajema spotted up at the top of the key, quickly received the ball, and instantly fired off a shot from behind the arc that swished for the first points of the season for the Runnin' Utes.
Fellow guard and sharpshooter Gabe Madsen received the ball in the corner on the ensuing possession and fired off his own, and the result was the same with a swished 3-pointer to give Utah an early 6-0 lead against the visiting Eastern Washington Eagles.
The hot shooting eventually cooled off and the game got a bit more chaotic before the halftime break, but the end result was a season-opening 101-66 victory for Utah. It's the first time Utah has crossed the century mark since Dec. 2019 when Utah beat BYU 102-95 in overtime.
"We're definitely a different looking team, could definitely feel a good vibe," Utah head coach Craig Smith said. "Eastern Washington is going to have a great year. Those guys are good."
Utah tried to establish a quick tempo early against Eastern Washington, but struggled to see shots go through the net for a four-minute period in the rush. Smith said some of that was working through first-game emotions and rushing shots, but there were several open looks that just didn't fall.
The Utes eventually settled in as Rollie Worster took over the game on offense to closeout the first half.
Worster led all scores at the break with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a spinning move that ended with him laying it up. With the clocking nearing zero at the break, Worster heaved up a 3-point shot but was body checked by his defender. Worster went to the line and calmly drained all three buckets to give the Utes a 24-point lead at halftime.
He finished with 15 points, eight assists, six steals, and five rebounds in the win. It was an all-around effort for the veteran guard who continued to put pressure on Eastern Washington all night.
What a dish 🤌
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 7, 2023
Worster 🤝 @colebajema22pic.twitter.com/iFuSW6oWu2
Worster had the hot first half, but Madsen took over in the second half to finish with a game-high 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the 3-point line. He was joined in double figures with 17 points from Bajema, and Ben and Brandon Carlson each with 11 points.
Though the team eclipsed the 100-point mark, Utah largely found success with a tough defense that limited Eastern Washington into 26% shooting in the first half and 38% for the game. The Utes challenged every Eagles look and made the visiting team work for every point they got, especially in the first half when the Utah held Eastern Washington to 20 points.
"I thought we did a great job defending them, specifically that first half," Smith said. "I mean, to hold them to 20 points, they can get it going."
LeJuan Watts led the Eagles in scoring with 15 point on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds, and Dane Erikstrup added 13 points as the only other player in double figures for Eastern Washington.
