The streak is no more.
Due to the Utah men’s basketball team’s 3-of-26 (11.5 percent) second-half shooting, the Wyoming Cowboys (15-5, 6-1 MWC) handed the Utes (16-3, 6-1) a 54-46 defeat Monday night at the Huntsman Center.
The loss stopped the nation’s longest winning streak at 13 games, and it marked Utah’s first home conference loss since losing to Fresno State Jan. 8, 1996, a string of 68 straight games.
So what does the streak’s ending mean to coach Rick Majerus?
“Just that it’s over, that’s all,” he said.
Wyoming held Utah, the nation’s top 3-point shooting team, to 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) from beyond the arc, including just 1-of 13 in the second half.
“Give Wyoming credit, they defended very well. They knocked us off our picks,” Majerus said. “And we played into good shots instead of getting great shots. We got bated into the early attack.”
On the other end, the run-and gun Cowboys utilized the size of 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward Josh Davis and 6-foot-10, 260-pound center Uche Nsonwu-Amadi. Despite leading the MWC with 79.3 points per game, Wyoming used an uncharacteristically patient offense.
“They would swing the ball back and forth, being patient with their big guys. They did what we try to do, which is select our own shots versus having the defense select them for us,” said Britton Johnsen.
Utah started the game hot, thanks to the play of surprise starting center Cameron Koford. Koford had not played at all in Utah’s two previous games against BYU and Colorado State, but he came out firing.
Koford led the Utes to an 8-2 lead, and left the game three minutes into the first half to resounding applause after picking up 2 points, 2 blocks, 2 rebounds and an assist.
But the Pokes’ big men pulled Wyoming back into the game. After Utah built a 5-point advantage, Wyoming went on a 7 0 run, capped by a Nsonwu Amadi jumper that gave Wyoming its first lead, at 15-14, with 10:51 to go.
After guard Jason Straight broke the game’s second tie with a layup, Davis nailed a jumper to give the Cowboys their largest lead, 20-16.
Utah went on a 7-1 run, but Wyoming regained its 4-point lead on a Ronell Mingo basket with 1:24 left.
However, Spivey answered with a 3 and Trace Caton tipped in a buzzer-beater after Johnsen kept alive a Jacobson miss. The score read 30-29 Utah at half.
The first seven minutes of the second half were the same power struggle as in the first. Phil Cullen hit a 3 and a deuce in a minute and-a-half span, and the game was tied at 36.
However, two Straight free throws gave Wyoming a 2-point lead with 13:37 to go, a lead it would hold for the rest of the game.
Jacobson had a chance to cut the lead to 1, but the 81-percent free throw shooter missed a pair with 9:57 left.
“You can’t be too tired to make free throws,” Majerus said. “I’m going to see if I can address the foul shooting in practice.”
The Utes shot 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) from the stripe, including a 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) pace in the second half.
The lead ballooned to 7 on a layup by Straight with 4:24 left. Free throws by Spivey and Britton and Jeff Johnsen cut the lead to 2 with 2:00 remaining. After an Nsonwu-Amadi free throw, the lead was 3 with 1:48 left.
A downscreen freed up Britton Johnsen, who fired a quick, long range trey that ricocheted off the back of the rim. Caton grabbed the offensive rebound, but couldn’t get the putback to go over Nsonwu-Amadi. Nsonwu-Amadi collected the rebound, and was fouled by Britton.
Free throws by the Wyoming center and Straight kept the game out of reach, and Wyoming won 54-46.
Britton Johnsen, the MWC’s Player of the Week, failed to live up to the title. He and brother Jeff shot 1-for-16 and scored a combined 9 points, a game removed from teaming up for 43 points against Colorado State.
Britton’s only basket in 10 attempts came on an alley-oop try when the ball slipped through his hands and happened to fall in the basket.
Jacobson led all Utes with 13 points, but had only 1 in the second half, and Spivey finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds.
Koford finished with 6 points and 8 rebounds in only 18 minutes, but Utah scored only 12 points in the paint, something that hurts the team when the long-range bombs aren’t falling.
“I’ve told the team we have to have the inside presence to be the team we are capable of,” Spivey said. “I think it showed tonight how much we need Chris [Burgess].”
Conversely, the Wyoming big men had their way with Utah.
Nsonwu-Amadi put up 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Davis scored 15 points and collected 9 boards.
Utah now hits the road for five of its last seven games, which might not be such a bad thing, said Jacobson.
“The road gives us a chance where we’re not the favorite. It’s something fresh, and we want to win in hostile situations,” Jacobson said. “We’re all looking forward to leaving. I think it will help us grow as a team even more.”
Utah’s only home contests are against Air Force and New Mexico on Feb. 16 and Feb. 18, respectively. Utah’s next game is Feb. 9 at 4 p.m., which will be televised on ESPN+, against San Diego State.