March 5, 2005
By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Andrew Bogut recorded his 20th double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds in what was likely his final college home game, leading No. 16 Utah past San Diego State 72-60 Saturday.
Although he's just a sophomore, Utah honored the 7-foot Australian before the season finale, a tradition usually reserved for seniors.
But Senior Day was really more of a Sophomore Day for the Utes (25-4, 13-1 Mountain West). Bogut opened the game with a two-handed dunk and all but ended it late in the second half with a 3-pointer to help Utah complete a perfect 16-0 season at home.
The Ute fans chanted "One more year!" and gave Bogut a standing ovation when he left the game with 53 seconds remaining. Australian flags covered some of the red in the seats and an inflatable kangaroo was even bounced around like a beach ball in honor of Bogut.
Marc Jackson, Utah's only senior, also got a rousing goodbye when he left right after Bogut. Jackson finished with 10 points and seven assists, and Justin Hawkins added 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Utes outrebounded the Aztecs 36-14 and completed the best season in the history of the Mountain West, topping Air Force's 12-2 mark last season and running away with the top seed in next week's MWC tournament.
Utah's only loss in league play was at New Mexico on Feb. 21, which ended an 18-game winning streak.
Brandon Heath led San Diego State (10-17, 4-9) with 23 points and Matt Thomas scored 14 for the Aztecs, who kept Utah's lead to single digits until the final minutes.
Thomas made two free throws with 3:57 left to get San Diego State to 61-55, but Utah scored the next eight points. Bryant Markson, who scored 10, and Hawkins hit back-to-back reverse layups, Hawkins added a free throw and Bogut capped the run with his 3-pointer.
The Utes led 32-30 at halftime after shooting 64 percent in the first half. But the lead was still small because Utah also had just one more field goal (14) than it had turnovers. Utah didn't clean it up much in the second half until the very end, when the Aztecs stopped hitting shots.