Preview

BERKELEY, Calif. (Interstat) — A pair of surging teams will meet Tuesday night when the Utah Utes visit the California Golden Bears in a non-conference men’s basketball matchup at Haas Pavilion. Both teams enter with 6-1 records, though Utah (6-2) has played one more game. The Utes are coming off a dramatic 75-74 road victory at Mississippi last Wednesday. Guard Don McHenry led the way with 27 points in the win. California is riding a four-game winning streak, its most recent result an 80-72 victory over UCLA last Tuesday. Chris Bell paced the Golden Bears with 22 points in that contest. The Utes have shown a potent offense, scoring 80 or more points in five of their eight games. However, their two losses came in their only other true road games this season, at Grand Canyon and Cal Poly. The Golden Bears have relied on a stout defense, holding opponents under 70 points in five of their seven games. Their lone loss was a narrow 99-96 defeat at Kansas State. This game serves as a final major non-conference test for both squads before they dive into their respective conference schedules in January. Utah will host California Baptist on Saturday, while California will host Pacific.