Injury Woes Continue as the Utes Fall in Pullman

Another injury sustained as the Utes lose to the Washington State Cougars.

After an energizing win against Oregon, and a breakout game for Deivon Smith, the Utes lost to Washington State 79-57 while also suffering a massive blow to the squad.

Smith, who was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week after his stellar outing against the rival Oregon Ducks suffered a lower leg injury while contesting a shot beyond the arc. He is now the third starter to go down this season and despite the success the team has had with the 'next man up', the injuries are starting to take a toll. 

For the Runnin' Utes, Branden Carlson led the team in scoring going 9/17 from the field for 20 points. Keba Keita led the team in rebounds grabbing 9 boards with 7 coming on the defensive half. Gabe Madsen finished the game as Utah's leading dime-disher with 3.

For the Cougars, Isaac Jones led the team in points and rebounds going 6/16 from the field and 5/6 from the line for 17 points while also grabbing 10 boards, granting him the double-double. Meanwhile, Myles Rice led the team in assists with 6.

While the injury to Smith certainly doesn't help the cause, the Utes lost the rebound battle and in the turnover department while also shooting a measly 18.2% from beyond the arc. The loss puts the Utes at a 14-6 overall record and a 5-4 conference record, tied with Washington State in the Pac-12 standings. Next up for the Runnin' Utes is a trip to Seattle where they will look to bounce back against the Washington Huskies on January, 27th.