In an electrifying showdown on Saturday night, BYU triumphed over their rivals Utah with a final score of 85-74. The game, held in Provo, Utah, saw Dawson Baker lead the charge for the Cougars with 15 points, while Richie Saunders added a solid 14 points to secure the win. Keba Keita contributed 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds alongside Egor Demin, who also scored in double digits with 10 points and managed to make six assists. This victory marked BYU’s eighth consecutive win, uplifting their season record to 23-8 and 14-6 in the Big 12 conference.
For Utah, Miro Little was the standout player, scoring 21 points. Despite Ezra Ausar’s impressive performance with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, the Utes fell short and faced their fourth loss in the last five games, making their season record 16-15 overall and 8-12 in the conference.
The game started with BYU struggling offensively, failing to make any shots from beyond the arc initially. Both Baker and Mihailo Boskovic managed to break this cold streak with successive three-pointers, which helped the Cougars regain momentum. Utah capitalized on BYU’s early shooting woes, with Ausar scoring several baskets that helped Utah build a 26-21 advantage.
However, BYU managed to rally back before halftime, edging ahead 34-30 after Dallin Hall’s 3-point buzzer-beater. The second half saw BYU maintain their lead throughout, but it wasn’t until Trevin Knell and Hall spearheaded a decisive 12-0 run with key baskets that BYU extended their lead to 66-49 with just under seven minutes to go. During this stretch, Utah went ice-cold, missing nine successive shots amid a five-minute scoring drought.
The Utes’ downfall was partly attributed to 17 turnovers, which allowed BYU to capitalize and score 21 points off those mistakes. The Cougars, demonstrating prowess in the paint, outscored Utah 40-22 in that area. Baker’s performance was notable as it was his highest-scoring game since December.
In the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, Utah is set to face UCF in the first round on Tuesday. Meanwhile, BYU, benefiting from their strong conference performance, has earned a double bye and will advance directly to the quarterfinals on Thursday.
