The Utah men’s basketball team took on the Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday with a shot at the Pac-12 tournament semi-finals on the line. The Utes started the game slowly but were able to pick up their play on both sides of the ball to head into halftime trailing by only three points. The second half was all Colorado, however, as their strength and size seemed to give Utah problems throughout the majority of the night. When it was all said and done, the Utes would eventually fall 72-58 in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals.
First Half
The first 10 minutes of the game were easily forgettable for Utah, as Colorado jumped out to an early lead thanks to some stellar ball movement, which had the Utes on their heels defensively. Utah would not go down without a fight, however, as they steadily chipped away at the Buffalo lead thanks to the hot three-point shooting from Hunter Erickson and Cole Bajema.
Utah started the game strong, getting an easy dunk for Branden Carlson off of high-low action, forcing Colorado into a defensive lapse. The Buffaloes were able to settle in, however, and find open looks from three that they had no problem knocking down. The largest lead of the half for Colorado grew to 21-7 on a Cody Williams jump shot, but fortunately for the Utah faithful, the Utes would not go away quietly.
Bajema and Erickson were scorching hot in the previous night’s win against Arizona State, and that theme stayed the course as both guards knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, subsequently cutting Colorado’s lead to 27-16. Some excellent defensive sets that forced the Buffaloes into tough contested shots and back-to-back three-pointers by Bajema and Erickson once again cut the lead to one for Colorado with just over five minutes left to go in the half. The remainder of the half saw both teams exchange buckets before a late Colorado layup would give the Buffaloes a 33-30 lead heading into halftime.
Bajema led the Utes in the first half, scoring 10 points on 3-7 shooting from the field. Erickson followed close behind with six points on two clutch three-pointers when the Utes needed it most. The rest of the scoring was fairly balanced, as Gabe Madsen had five points, Branden Carlson chipped in four of his own and Deivon Smith was able to score three on a drive and kick a three-pointer.
Second Half
The second half began very similarly to the first, as Colorado was able to jump on the Utes early and take a 44-36 lead with 13:26 to go in the game. Utah continued to fight valiantly and was able to stay within reach thanks to a Branden Carlson three-pointer with 9:31 remaining to cut the Buffalo lead to just five points. Utah came out of halftime relatively flat in the first 10 minutes, but some excellent court vision by the Utah guards and some tenacious defense allowed the Utes to stay within striking distance of Colorado.
The Utes fought hard in the final 10 minutes of action, but Colorado’s defensive intensity caused Utah to make uncharacteristic mistakes, turning the ball over and forcing up contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock. At the 6:04 mark of the second half, Colorado extended their lead to 11, but Smith was able to come down on the next possession and find Ben Carlson for his first three-pointer of the night. Down eight points with 5:43 to go, Utah would need to string together some stops and play composed basketball on the offensive end to complete the comeback.
Unfortunately for Utah, Colorado caught fire at the right time and was able to rattle off an 8-0 run to essentially close the game out. With only three minutes remaining, the Utes did not have enough time or energy left to pull off a miraculous comeback win. Down the stretch, Utah pulled off their pressure and allowed the Buffaloes to dribble the clock out. The Utes would eventually fall 72-58 in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, leaving a March Madness bid uncertain.
Utes Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Branden Carlson led the starting lineup in scoring with 13 points and added six rebounds despite dealing with a nagging elbow injury. Erickson came off the bench and continued to play exceptionally well, putting up 13 points on 5-10 from the field to match Branden Carlson’s scoring output. Bajema finished the night with 10 points of his own, while Madsen chipped in nine. As a team, Utah shot just 32.8% from the field, which would not be enough to pull off the upset win.
What’s next for the Utes?
Unfortunately for the Utes, the team will return to Salt Lake City and await their destiny for postseason action. An at-large bid in the NCAA tournament is extremely unlikely; therefore, Utah will most likely be seeded in the NIT tournament. Utah fought hard all season despite injuries to key players, and they should be proud of what they accomplished. The Utes will find out what awaits them in the postseason on Sunday, March 17.
