Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
Utah 90, Ball State 72: Brandon Taylor scored 19 points as the host Utes put away the Cardinals with a late second-half run in the season opener for both teams.

Taylor finished 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range for Utah. Jordan Loveridge and Jakob Poeltl each finished with 18 points while Delon Wright added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and eight assists.

Sean Sellers scored a game-high 26 points while Zavier Turner added 14 for Ball State. Jeremie Tyler finished with 12 points for the Cardinals from the Mid-American Conference.

Ball State trimmed Utah’s lead to 43-40 with 16:25 remaining on Rocco Belcaster’s 3-pointer, but Utah answered with two Loveridge free throws and a steal and dunk by Wright to stretch the lead to 47-40. After the Cardinals cut the lead to 69-63, Utah went on a 15-0 run and never looked back.

The Utes jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Ball State called timeout, then a Kenneth Ogbe baseline dunk increased the lead to 21-10 by the second media timeout. But a dunk by Matt Kamieniecki with 2:17 remaining in the half closed Utah’s lead to 32-28 and the Utes held a 35-30 advantage by halftime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Former Utah coach Rick Majerus also served in the same capacity at Ball State (1987-89). … The Utes marched to the line 40 times and made 26 while the Cardinals were 12-for-13. … Tyler, Turner and Bo Calhoun each finished with four fouls for Ball State, while Kamieniecki, Belcaster and Franko House fouled out.