- A sold-out Huntsman Center energized the Runnin' Utes despite their loss to BYU.
- Utah's James Okonkwo praised the crowd's support, calling it "really reassuring."
- Coach Alex Jensen compared the atmosphere to the Rick Majerus era's glory days.
SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Jensen noticed, and so did his players.
It wasn't tough to spot the difference Saturday night in what was a sold-out Huntsman Center. The energy, the electricity, and the overall vibe was completely different in the arena — even the MUSS filled up two sections of the lower bowl hours before the game tipped off.
Sure, the hoards of BYU fans added to the environment in a hostile in-state rivalry game, but a full home arena was a difference-maker for the Runnin' Utes Saturday night.
The result was ultimately a loss for the Utes, but it was one that felt more encouraging for a Utah team at the bottom of the standings in the Big 12, especially as the crowd willed the home team along in a close finish.
"It was like a different level of energy in the game today, and it's really encouraging," Utah forward James Okonkwo said. "And when we went out on a really good run to start the game, I mean, you could just feel it. We were locked in; it was really fun to play."
A full Huntsman Center was a big reason for Utah keeping the game close — and keeping the team engaged in a game that was expected to be a loss against the No. 9 team in the country.
One of the biggest problems Utah has faced this season has been maintaining the intensity for the full 40 minutes of game time. Not all of that is on the home fans, but it doesn't hurt to have support during the lulls of a game.
Saturday's was an environment that Jensen said was no different than the glory days of the Rick Majerus era and when he played at the Huntsman Center. A full arena matters, he added.
"It's fun. I mean, that's the way that place has been for decades. I played here and there's nothing like it. I don't think there's a better place," Jensen said. "We tell recruits and people all the time, they built a 15,000-seat arena in the 70s for a reason. So, for me, it's hard, because we play Arizona and it's half full, and that, I kind of have a hard time comprehending that.
"But, again, that's why myself and the rest of the staff and the players are here, because we're not building something from nothing, like it's there. So winning helps that, and I think that's the direction we're going."
Utah isn't quite there yet.
Outside of a home rivalry game, the Huntsman Center crowd has a long ways to go — and so does a team that is .500 on the season ahead of the gauntlet of a Big 12 schedule that doesn't get any easier against No. 14 Texas Tech on Wednesday.
But Saturday night's sold-out crowd showed what it can do to the energy within the building, and the type of momentum it can have on the players and the support they receive each night.
"I think it's just encouraging," Okonkwo said. "I noticed the support from the fans; it's just different. I think that's the most that we've had this year, and you could definitely feel the energy was different. It helped us go on that first run and stay consistent throughout the game. We fell off a few times, but the energy was really good."
Okonkwo, who led the team with 13 rebounds in arguably his best performance in a Utes uniform, said the energy from the crowd was "really reassuring."
Even BYU's AJ Dybantsa noticed the difference in environment in his first rivalry game with the Cougars.
"Boy, that was crazy. That was super hostile," Dybansta said. "That's probably like, besides my high school days, that rivalry, that's probably like the most hostile environment I've been in. It was really like a welcome to the Big 12 moment."
And though that rivalry passion won't be the same nightly, it's a prototype of what the Huntsman Center could be for the Runnin' Utes with a full Huntsman Center — or even one that fills up the majority of the arena.
"It was really fun to play with the full arena — a rivalry game that was really fun," Jensen said. "I think for me, it reminded me of a few years ago. But for our guys, they played really hard, can't fault the effort. ... Crowd was great tonight, fun experience. Wish we could have pulled it out at the end, but, again, good experience and we'll move forward."
