Utah coach Craig Smith is preparing his players for a possibly unpleasant — but hopefully productive — experience when the Utes host Saint Mary’s on Saturday in Salt Lake City.”You know, it’s a little bit like going to the dentist,” Smith said of playing the Gaels during an ESPN700 interview. “They muck it up and they’re good. … They’re just very rugged and skilled. They shoot the three well. They get to the rim well. They know who they are, and so it’s gonna be a great test for us.”This is an intriguing matchup between Saint Mary’s (8-1), a West Coast Conference powerhouse, and Utah (6-1), a new Big 12 program.Utah has won all six games at the Huntsman Center, while this will be the Gaels’ first true road game after going 2-1 in neutral-site contests.The Utes entered Friday ranked No. 4 nationally in rebounding (44.29), with the Gaels tied for sixth (43.78).Utah won its third game in a row last Saturday with an 88-80 victory over Eastern Washington. Aside from the 78-73 loss to Mississippi State, it was their closest game of the season.Gabe Madsen scored 28 points, Ezra Ausar netted 20, and Lawson Lovering contributed 16 points and eight rebounds to lift Utah.Saint Mary’s also had a competitive game in its last outing. The Gaels outlasted UTSA 82-74 in overtime on Tuesday.
Utah, Saint Mary’s collide in early season test
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