The Utah men’s basketball team entered their matchup with the Oregon Ducks looking to bounce back from their loss just down the road at Oregon State two nights prior. The Utes came out with excellent energy offensively and defensively, subsequently taking a 37-32 lead into halftime. Despite the solid first-half performance, Utah did not have enough gas in the tank to finish the game victoriously, falling 66-65 in a closely contested matchup.
First Half
Utah came out in the first half relatively flat and falling behind early, going 15–5 less than five minutes into the game. Two Branden Carlson layups and a 3-pointer, however, closed the gap in a matter of minutes as Utah started to find their stride offensively. Both teams exchanged buckets, but Utah was able to grab their first lead of the game on another Carlson 3-pointer with 9:49 remaining in the half. The score continued to go back and forth, seeing both teams take brief leads that were quickly erased by the opposition. With two minutes remaining, however, Carlson continued to shoot lights out, helping Utah take a 7-point lead with just over two minutes remaining. Both teams finished the half strong, but Utah was able to take a 37-32 lead into halftime with plenty of work left to put an explosive Oregon team away.
Carlson dominated the first half, putting up 17 points and 5 rebounds, continually putting pressure on the Oregon defense and forcing them to make adjustments. Deivon Smith shot the ball well in the first as well, recording nine points, while Gabe Madsen scored six on two 3-pointers.
The second half was a dog fight as both teams were fighting for Pac-12 tournament seeding. If Utah wanted to come away with a massive road victory, they needed to continue to apply defensive pressure on the Oregon guards and find ways to get open looks for Carlson.
Second Half
The second half played out similar to the first half, as both teams exchanged baskets, not allowing the other team to create much separation. Utah faltered a little bit with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game as Oregon began to broaden their lead at the 9:12 mark. The next two minutes did not favor the Utes, as Oregon was able to extend their lead to seven points with just 7:11 on the clock. Utah didn’t give up though, as two Madsen 3-pointers cut the deficit to just three points. The Utah defense locked up down the stretch, giving themselves a real opportunity to come away with a win. With 0:38 left to go in the game, Smith knocked down two clutch free throws, cutting the Oregon lead to one point.
Utah needed just one more stop and a bucket to take the lead without having to intentionally foul. The Utes locked in and were able to force a stop, but unfortunately, a Carlson 3-pointer to win the game fell short. Utah headed back to Salt Lake, falling in a highly competitive game, 66-65.
Utes Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Carlson led Utah in scoring with 19 points on 7-12 shooting. Smith followed closely behind, putting up 15 points, while Madsen was able to put up 14. Lawson Lovering and Hunter Erickson each were able to score six points to round out the majority of the Utah scoring.
What’s Next for the Utes?
Utah will take on Arizona State in game one of the Pac-12 tournament at 9:30 p.m. MST. The game will take place on Wednesday, March 13, in Las Vegas. Tune into the Pac-12 network to catch all the action.
