3 keys to Utah’s easy 61-46 win over the visiting Cal Bears
Seldom-used senior Jaxon Brenchley sparked Utah off the bench in the first half and scored a season-high 10 points
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) drives on California Golden Bears forward Grant Newell (14) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Jay has covered sports in Utah for more than 30 years and has been writing for the Deseret News since 2019.
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Utah bounced back from Thursday’s disappointing home loss to Stanford with a 61-46 win over the visiting Cal Bears Sunday at the Huntsman Center.
Utah improved to 16-9 overall, 9-5 in the Pac-12 with the victory. Cal, the league’s last-place team, dropped to 3-20 and 2-10.
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) drives on the California Golden Bears in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Lazar Stefanovic (20) drives on California Golden Bears guard Wrenn Robinson (30) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) looks to the basket against the California Golden Bears in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes head coach Craig Smith talks with the ref in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) eyes a 3-pointer in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) blocks a shot by California Golden Bears forward Lars Thiemann (21) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes forward Ben Carlson (1) is fouled by California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Lazar Stefanovic (20) drives on California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) drives on California Golden Bears forward Monty Bowser (2) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes forward Ben Carlson (1) and California Golden Bears forward Obinna Anyanwu (23) fight for the ball in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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California Golden Bears coach Mark Fox shouts in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes forward Ben Carlson (1) has his hand bent on the defense by California Golden Bears forward Grant Newell (14) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Marco Anthony (10) drives on California Golden Bears forward Grant Newell (14) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Marco Anthony (10) drives on California Golden Bears forward Lars Thiemann (21) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Marco Anthony (10) looks to pass on California Golden Bears forward Lars Thiemann (21) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) tries to shoot over California Golden Bears forward ND Okafor (22) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley (5) drives on California Golden Bears forward Grant Newell (14) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) blocks the shot of California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Rollie Worster (25) is blocked by California Golden Bears guard Joel Brown (1) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes head coach Craig Smith shouts instruction in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes guard Lazar Stefanovic (20) drives on California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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Utah Utes forward Ben Carlson (1) grabs a rebound as California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) fights for the ball in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Here are 3 keys to Utah’s easy win over California:
• Seldom-used senior Jaxon Brenchley came off the bench when Utah was struggling offensively in the first half and scored eight points in 14 minutes of action. He finished with a season-high 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting in 26 minutes. Brenchley had appeared in only 11 games before Sunday and had scored only four points all season.
• Kuany Kuany scored nine first-half points and Cal took an early 18-11 lead to cause a stir in the meager Sunday afternoon crowd in Salt Lake City. But Utah made some defensive adjustments on the 6-foot-9 forward from Australia and he scored just two points the rest of the way.
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• Having buried the Bears 58-43 in Berkeley on Dec. 29, Utah completed the season sweep with a similar defensive effort Sunday as Cal shot 34% from the field after a hot start.
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