X

Utah Sets Division I Record with 94-Point Win over Mississippi Valley State

Paul KasabianSenior ContributorNovember 9, 2019

Utah's Both Gach, left, and Timmy Allen speak during the Pac-12 NCAA college basketball media day Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)
D. Ross Cameron/Associated Press

The Utah Utes set a Division I men's basketball record for the largest margin of victory in a game featuring two D-I opponents, per the official NCAA March Madness Twitter account:

NCAA March Madness @marchmadness

🚨 NEW NCAA RECORD 🚨 Utah's 94-point margin of victory is the highest ever over a D-1 opponent. 😱 https://t.co/aKDZTsQrbn

Utah beat visiting Mississippi Valley State 143-49, led by Timmy Allen's 26 points. Nine Utes scored in double figures, and Both Gach and Rylan Jones each had triple-doubles. 

Per the Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info), Gach and Jones' efforts marked the first time in 20 years a Division I team had two players record triple-doubles in the same game.

Utah closed the first half on a 27-5 run to take a 70-20 halftime lead. A 33-9 run over the first eight minutes of the second half was capped by an Alfonso Plummer three-pointer.

Utah shot 63.3 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. The Utes also grabbed 68 rebounds versus the Delta Devils' 28 and dished 41 assists to Mississippi Valley State's 10.

The 0-2 Delta Devils shot just 26.2 percent from the field, but Michael Green fared well with 20 points on 10-of-23 shooting.

The Utes moved to 2-0 after beating Nevada 79-74 in their opener. The team is looking to improve upon last season's 17-14 mark.

The Delta Devils have seen better days, winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference five times, most recently in 2012. The program has fallen on hard times recently, however, going 6-26 last year and starting this season with a 110-74 loss to Iowa State.

The team is led by first-year head coach Lindsey Hunter, who played 17 NBA seasons and won championships in 2002 and 2004 with the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons, respectively.