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Salt Lake City, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - Enjoying their highest position in the national rankings since 1999, the ninth-ranked Utah Runnin Utes close out a five-game homestand versus Pac-12 Conference foe Colorado at the Huntsman Center on Wednesday. Utah, which finished the 1998-99 campaign ranked sixth in the country, has lost just two games in 2014-15, and both have come on the road against nationally-ranked opponents. First, the Utes was taken down by 16th-ranked San Diego State in the second game of the season, 53-49, and then almost a month later Utah was tripped up by No. 10 Kansas, 63-60. But since the setback to the Jayhawks, the Runnin Utes have rattled off five straight wins. The program kicked off 2015 with a resounding 79-55 win versus USC on Jan. 2 and then completely demoralized UCLA two days later, 71-39. Meanwhile, the Buffaloes have had difficulty sustaining any sort of consistency, good or bad. On Sunday, the team matched the Utes by crushing USC, 86-65, two days after dismissing UCLA in a 62-56 final at home in Boulder. However, those two wins came on the heels of two defeats, which followed back-to-back victories, which came after a pair of losses. Colorado leads the all-time series by a 25-17 margin, although in Salt Lake City it is Utah that owns a 12-8 edge. As Pac-12 opponents, the Buffs have claimed five of seven meetings, although both programs won on their home floor last season. Inside the Coors Events Center, the hosts were suiting up without Josh Scott (14.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg) due to back spasms for the second straight games, but it didnt matter because the Colorado offense proved to be tough to stop with 55.2 percent accuracy from the floor in the 21-point victory over USC. Askia Booker dropped in 18 points and handed out seven assists, followed by Xavier Johnson and Dustin Thomas with 17 points apiece, while Wesley Gordon accounted for nine rebounds and six points. A 55.6 percent shooter from the field, Scott is listed as questionable for the meeting with Utah, which means Booker and his cohorts may again have to pick up the slack. Booker, who has knocked down a team-best 25 3-pointers, is tops on the team with both 15.8 ppg and 46 assists, followed by Johnson and his 13.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Gordon (7.6 ppg) has shown that he too can hit the boards in the absence of Scott, clearing 7.1 per contest, but he is not nearly the same threat in a scoring capacity. Prior to the meeting with the Bruins, the Utes had outscored nine opponents at home in Salt Lake City by an average of 84-57 and while the offense was not quite as strong for Utah, the team still came away with another lopsided victory. Delon Wright scored 11 points, cleared seven rebounds, handed out five assists and made four steals for the Runnin Utes, while Jordan Loveridge tacked on 10 points and Jakob Poeltl nine to go with a game-high 10 boards. At the defensive end, Utah held UCLA to just 28.8 percent shooting from the field and 1-of-11 behind the 3-point line, all while the Bruins converted only 8-of-15 at the free-throw line and were beaten on the glass, 42-28. Wright, a 57.6 percent shooter from the floor, not only paces Utah in scoring with 15.1 ppg, he is also tops in assists (79) and steals (32), not to mention one of the stronger rebounders with 4.9 rpg. Loveridge, who has appeared in just half the teams 14 outings, checks in with 12.0 ppg while hitting on 53.3 percent on the perimeter, followed by Poeltl with 9.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg as he plays a key role in providing the Utes with a rebounding advantage of 9.1 rpg. Adidas Ozweego Suomi . Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season. Adidas NMD Kengät . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). http://www.nmdhalvalla.com/adidas-continental-80-halvalla.html . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Duck Calling With several marquee centres available via trade and expected to be available via free agency, the Anaheim Ducks could be primed to be big players in the coming days. Adidas NMD Halvalla . CNN and Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Tancredi Palmeri broke the news via Twitter Tuesday afternoon. Italian Football Association President Giancarlo Abete has also resigned, according to Palmeri. Adidas NMD Cs1 Suomi . JOHNS, N.KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Novak Djokovic advanced without hitting a ball for the second time at the Sony Open, and now hes in the final. Djokovic received his latest walkover Friday when Kei Nishikori withdrew less than two hours before their semifinal because of a left groin injury. "I tried to warm up and I couldnt move" Nishikori said. "With anybody on the other side, I dont think I could win today." The No. 2-ranked Djokovic also got a walkover in the third round and has played only six sets in the tournament. Hell try for his fourth Key Biscayne title Sunday against the winner of Friday nights match between No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 7 Tomas Berdych. No. 1 Serena Williams will try for her seventh Key Biscayne title when she plays No. 2 Li Na on Saturday. Former No. 1 Martina Hingis advanced to her first doubles final since 2007 when she and Sabine Lisicki beat Cara Black and Sania Mirza 6-3, 6-4. Nishikori said his groin has bothered him for more than a month, and he retired during a match in Delray Beach last month. This weeek he won a won a three-set match against David Ferrer, saving four match points, and then beat Roger Federer in a three-setter Wednesday night.dddddddddddd The No. 21-ranked Nishikori said he wont need surgery, but hes unsure how long hell be sidelined and will fly home to Japan to see a doctor. His next scheduled match is in Davis Cup for Japan against the Czech Republic in Toyko on April 4. Nishikori has retired or withdrawn 14 times in his career, including three times in Grand Slam events. He was hoping to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final. "It was going to be a great challenge for me today," Nishikori said. "Hopefully I can play another time." A Key Biscayne mens semifinal was also cancelled in 2012 when Nadal withdrew because of a knee injury, giving Andy Murray a walkover. Djokovic will try to complete a March sweep Sunday. He won the Indian Wells title two weeks ago, when he beat Federer in the final. Regardless of results the rest of the week, Nadal will remain No. 1 and Djokovic No. 2 next week. ' ' '