Ezra Ausar and Lawson Lovering lead Utah to a 74-69 victory against Kansas State.

SALT LAKE CITY — Ezra Ausar contributed a significant performance with 21 points, while Lawson Lovering notched a double-double to propel Utah to a 74-69 triumph over Kansas State on Monday night.
Ausar successfully made 7 of his 14 attempts from the field and converted all seven of his free throw attempts, additionally securing eight rebounds for the Utes, who improved to 15-11 overall and 7-8 in the Big 12 Conference. Lovering had an impactful game, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, marking his first double-double of the current season. Gabe Madsen also played a vital role, adding 13 points to the total.
For the Wildcats, Brendan Hausen led the scoring with 17 points, although Kansas State (13-13, 7-8) saw their two-game losing streak extend following a previous six-game winning run. Max Jones and Dug McDaniel contributed 13 points each, with McDaniel also providing six assists during the matchup.
The first half concluded with both teams deadlocked at 32-32, with Lovering recording nine points for Utah and Jones contributing 10 points for Kansas State.
The Utes started the second half strong with a 7-0 run to take the lead. A dunk by Lovering allowed Utah to establish a 46-37 lead with 14:36 left on the clock. Madsen later extended their advantage to 57-50 with a 3-pointer with just 5:22 to go, but Hausen responded with a 3-pointer and two free throws, leading the Wildcats to tie the game at 59 with 3:25 remaining.
With the score tied, Miro Little scored for Utah to regain the lead, followed by Madsen’s 3-pointer, nudging the score to 64-59. Jones managed a layup for Kansas State in the closing seconds, narrowing the gap to just two points, but Utah sealed the victory by sinking 3 of 4 free throws in the final 12 seconds.
In a standout statistic, Utah dominated the boards with a total of 51 rebounds compared to Kansas State’s 28, including 21 offensive rebounds that allowed for 14 second-chance points.
Utah is set to face UCF in their next game on Sunday, while Kansas State will host Arizona State on the same day.