This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Denver • Ranked No. 57 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, Utah had only one player who had more assists than turnovers on Thursday night.
Brandon Taylor had six assists and two giveaways. The rest of the team combined for 18 turnovers and 10 assists, a lopsided figure that was hard for even the winning team to enjoy.
Despite beating Fresno State 80-69, the Utes were frustrated by their turnovers: 20 in all. While they got many of them back, as the Bulldogs coughed up 14 of them against Utah's defense, the gift-wrapped possessions did cost: Fresno State ended up with 28 points off turnovers, including six dunks.
"Without being Captain Obvious, if you don't turn it over, you become a heck of a lot more efficient," Taylor said. "If we could just cut those turnovers into a workable number, we wouldn't have a close game."
In the end, Utah still managed efficiency. It shot 54 percent from the field, and averaged nearly 1.2 point per possession. Utah's 15 offensive rebounds helped as well.
But in the past two games alone, Utah has given up 40 turnovers. And it's not for a lack of preparation.
"We talked about it all week. They get in passing lanes, they've got great athletes. You saw, that's how they took the lead," Taylor said.
Indeed, and that's how Oregon took the lead as well in the blowout loss in the Pac-12 final. And it's something still plaguing the Utes, who have hit turnover peaks and valleys all year.
Bonam hitting stride
Averaging just under 10 points per game for the year, junior guard Lorenzo Bonam picked the right time to get hot.
The junior college transfer from Gillette, Wyo., has hit double digits in five of his past six games, the latest 17-point effort coming in Utah's win over the Bulldogs. Bonam hit the go-ahead basket that started Utah's 19-2 rally and wrapped up on 7-for-10 shooting, looking particularly effective in transition.
In just the past six games, Bonam is averaging 13 points per game and shooting 55.5 percent. The Michigan native said a new mentality has been the key factor.
"Being aggressive and trying to make plays helped me a lot," he said. "It's not thinking about everything. Freeing my mind and letting myself just go to work."
Briefly
The turnover between the first and second sessions was slightly aggravated by a double-overtime game between Little Rock and Purdue. Most seats were empty when the Utes tipped off at a delayed 6:20 p.m. start time at the Pepsi Center. … Former All American and all-time Utah scoring leader Keith Van Horn was among those taking in the game live on Thursday evening.
Twitter: @kylegoon