SALT LAKE CITY — In a tightly contested matchup on Monday night, Utah managed to secure a 74-69 win against Kansas State, led by Ezra Ausar’s impressive 21 points and Lawson Lovering’s noteworthy double-double performance. Ausar demonstrated his scoring ability by converting 7 of 14 attempts from the field and hitting all seven of his free throw attempts, while also contributing eight rebounds to his team’s efforts. Lovering also made a significant impact with 15 points and 10 rebounds, marking his first double-double of the season, and Gabe Madsen chipped in an additional 13 points to support the Utes (15-11, 7-8 Big 12 Conference).
Brendan Hausen was the standout for the Wildcats (13-13, 7-8), scoring 17 points despite the team experiencing a downturn, having lost two games in a row after enjoying a six-game winning streak. Both Max Jones and Dug McDaniel contributed 13 points, with McDaniel also dishing out six assists during the game.
The opening half saw a back-and-forth effort from both teams, culminating in a 32-32 tie at halftime. Utah came out strong in the second half, scoring the initial seven points to take the lead. A dunk by Lovering further extended the Utes’ advantage to 46-37 with just over 14 minutes remaining on the clock. Madsen later hit a critical 3-pointer that pushed Utah ahead 57-50 with 5:22 left to play. However, the Wildcats fought back as Hausen sank a 3-pointer followed by two free throws, allowing Kansas State to equalize at 59 with just over three minutes left.
With the score tied, Miro Little scored in the paint for Utah, before Madsen followed suit with another 3-pointer. Jones made a layup with 15 seconds to go that brought Kansas State within two points, but Utah managed to seal their victory by converting 3 of 4 free throw attempts in the final moments of the game.
In terms of rebounding, Utah dominated the boards, holding a significant 51-28 advantage. The Utes particularly excelled on the offensive glass, securing 21 rebounds and resulting in 14 crucial second-chance points.
Looking ahead, Utah is set to travel for a game against UCF on Sunday, while Kansas State will host Arizona State on the same day.
