SALT LAKE CITY – Junior guard/forward Joe Nugent scored a team-high 19 points as the Holy Cross men's basketball team fell to non-conference foe Utah 87-69 Monday evening in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Nugent was 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) from long range in the contest as he rose to seventh on the Crusaders' (0-3) all-time three-point list passing Lorn Davis (146, 1986-90). He added four rebounds to his stat line.  Nugent was joined in double-figures by sophomore guard Aidan Richard (13 points), junior guard DeAndre Williams (11 points) and freshman forward Aiden Disu (10 points).

The Runnin' Utes (3-0) were paced by a 21 point effort from Terrence Brown who was 8-of-16 (50.0 percent) from the field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Richard gave the Crusaders a 3-2 lead coming off a screen and draining a three-ball on the left wing 1:01 into the contest. Holy Cross built a three point edge, 7-4 with junior guard Gabe Warren driving through traffic for the hoop and harm. Nugent leveled the score 12-12 knocking down a triple in the corner just before the media stoppage. Holy Cross and Utah traded threes as the Runnin' Utes led by two possessions, 20-15 at the second media timeout.
• Following the second media timeout, the Utah built the first double-digit lead of the game, 27-17 after an easy post score with 9:35 left in the stanza. The edge expanded to 12, 29-17 and their run grew to nine straight markers after a drive to the rack. Another post bucket upped the margin to a first half high 15, 45-30 with 3:07 left. A sophomore forward Chuck Hare floater and a Warren lay-in trimmed the deficit to 11, but Utah led 48-34 at the break.
• Holy Cross came out of the locker room for the second half on a mission with Disu notching seven straight points getting a hoop and harm making it 48-41 with 18:15 left. The Crusaders run increased to 10-2 as Nugent drilled a corner three trimming it to a two possession game 50-44. An 8-2 binge for the Runnin' Utes reestablished the double-figure margin, 58-46 with 14:08 to play.
• Nugent sank a second chance triple at the 9:35 mark, his fifth of the game putting Holy Cross down nine, 68-59. From there the Runnin' Utes produced seven straight to lead by 16, 75-59 with 4:33 remaining.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Nugent has 148 career three-pointers and needs six more to pass Robert Champion (153, 2013-17) for sixth place on the all-time list. He needs 75 more triples to become the program's all-time leader.
• Holy Cross broke their 0-for-24 (0.0 percent) stretch from three-point distance in the first half this season by going 4-for-9 (44.4 percent) from deep.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross will travel to Providence, R.I. for their first matchup against Hampton (1-1) at the Brown Bears Invitational on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
• Season and single-game tickets for Holy Cross men's basketball are on sale through the Holy Cross Ticket Office.

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