Admit it, when Carlon Brown hoisted that three-pointer to start the game against Weber State -- again -- you thought, what are you doing? The sophomore forward is anything but a strong long-range shooter, having made just 2 of 10 three-pointers last season and none of his first six this year.

But down it went, starting the Utes on a 9-for-20 performance from long range that helped them beat the Wildcats 74-64 at the Huntsman Center tonight and validate Brown's reasoning for his recent three-point splurge -- including five attempts in the last four games, one of them to start the game at Oklahoma last weekend.

"I just feel if I'm open, I need to shoot, to keep the defense honest," he said. "I just can't have them sag off me and kind of sandwich [center Luke Nevill] with one guy in front and one guy behind him. So if I shoot it, you have to come out" and defend him.

Makes sense.

After all, not only do the Utes need to keep opposing defenses from smothering Nevill inside, but they need to keep opponents from playing off of Brown in an effort to limit his slashing and playmaking ability. If he can make some threes, defenders will have a lot harder time doing that, which could make a big difference.

Even as it is, Brown scored a career-high 19 points against the Wildcats -- had 12 of them in the first half -- and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds after coach Jim Boylen had emphasized repeatedly the need for Brown and his fellow wings to rebound better. Brown also had just two turnovers in 35 minutes.

"We feel we have a heck of a system for Carlon Brown and we feel he does a heck of a job," Boylen said. "Ten rebounds from the wing position, to me, is really, really important for us to win. That's as big a stat as there is on the stat sheet. He's a developing, improving player, and I think he's one of the better sophomores around."