Jacobson, Jackson help jump-start Utes

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2003 | 9:58 a.m.

Utah guard Nick Jacobson credited coach Rick Majerus and his staff for having the Utes suitably prepared late Monday night in their 66-63 victory over UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Then again, Jacobson said, strategy only goes so far in the grand scheme of certain games.

"As a team, and players, we know what it's about," Jacobson said. "We didn't want to start out 0-2 in the conference."

Instead, the Rebels (11-4, 0-2) are in that predicament. Utah (13-4, 1-1) lost its Mountain West Conference opener Saturday at San Diego State, 58-56, and it continues its league-opening road stretch Saturday in Provo, Utah, against Brigham Young.

"Against San Diego State, we just didn't grind the motion like we needed to," Jacobson said. "We did a lot better at that tonight. That's the Utah offense. When we play hard, it's going to be hard for teams to score on us. But if we don't be patient and grind our offense, it's going to be hard for us to score on anyone.

"So it's better for us to grind it, play the shot clock and shoot when it's low."

Point guard Marc Jackson led Utah with 21 points, making six of seven shots from the field and going 7-for-9 at the free throw line. UNLV point guard Marcus Banks led everyone with 22 points.

"That Banks ... he's a whale of a talent," said Majerus, just before receiving congratulations from former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. "Whoever paid money to come in or watched it on TV saw two teams compete their (rears) off. Our guys kept their composure."

UNLV scored 16 of the game's first 22 points, but Jackson jump-started the Utes by converting a three-point play. Then he gave out his only two assists of the game, for a layup and a 3-point shot.

Jackson finished the first half in a flurry, hitting two free throws, a jumper, a layup and a 3-point shot -- all in 49 seconds -- that gave Utah a 25-23 advantage.

"Our motion (offense) got us going. We did some one-downs for me, and it just opened up," Jackson said. "I couldn't have done it without the picks and all that stuff."

Jacobson, who had missed all eight of his 3-point attempts in San Diego, connected on a long-range shot in the first half and then drilled both of his shots beyond the arc in the second half.

One with less than six minutes remaining pumped Utah's lead to 53-46 and quieted an announced crowd of 12,487 just as it was beginning to roar on the national cable telecast.

"I got loose, somehow," he said. "When I get those easy open looks -- I didn't get many -- I pride myself on knocking them down. It was a big shot, just because they were kind of coming back. But I don't know if anything was bigger than the free throws we eventually did make."

The Utes sank six of 11 at the line (6-of-11) in the last three minutes to stave off the Rebels.