To a demanding expert like coach Jim Boylen, however?

"I thought he missed a lot of open looks," Boylen said.

That might sound harsh, but even Bryant agreed, saying he never felt especially hot from long range, despite being able to spot up for open shot after open shot - unlike the way he was extinguished by the New Mexico Lobos after catching fire against them last week.

"It's going to be a rough film session," he joked.

By hitting 8 of 14 three-pointers, Bryant not only broke the record he had shared with Phil Dixon, Nick Jacobsen and Phil Cullen - the Mountain West Conference record for three-pointers in a game is nine, held by four players - but helped the Utes blow the Horned Frogs out early and hold them off later.

Bryant buried his first two three-pointers back-to-back to give the Utes a 20-3 lead, then hit three more in a four-minute span of the second half after the Frogs had cut the lead to 40-32. The first two were part of a 10-0 run.

"I hold him to a really high standard," Boylen said, "and I've always done that with him, because that's what he can do - as good as anybody in the country."

Bryant credited center Luke Nevill with commanding enough attention inside to create space on the perimeter, and praised fellow guards Tyler Kepkay and Luka Drca with getting him the ball. Drca handed out a career-high 10 assists, half of them on Bryant three-pointers. In all, the Utes had 23 assists on 26 baskets - easily their best such performance of the season.

mcl@sltrib.com