Utah Upsets No. 14 BYU On The Hardwood

The Utah Utes got the best of BYU on Saturday

On Dec. 9th, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, an unranked Utah (7-2) men’s basketball team slayed a giant in the No. 14 ranked team in the nation, BYU (8-1), who entered the game with an undefeated 8-0 record.

Excitement for the game was palpable, as fans on both sides of the in-state rivalry had Saturday circled on their calendar and waited eagerly to see whose team would take home the win.

Although BYU entered the game as favorites, due to their undefeated record and talented roster, it would be Utah, in the end, who left with the last laugh.

With more than 15,000 fans in attendance, the Runnin’ Utes took a lead over BYU early in the first half and never looked back en route to a 73-69 victory.

Lost in the chaos tonight was the attendance total of 1⃣5⃣,6⃣4⃣8⃣ - which was the 4th largest crowd in program history. #GoUtes https://t.co/vaBnIAL7dc

— John Vu (@Vuuster_) December 10, 2023

Facilitated by impressive performances from Gabe Madsen and Braden Carlson, Utah led by as many as 14 points in the game’s first half. Madsen hit three triples in the half, adding another field goal to finish with 11 points. Carlson went 5-9 from the field for 13 points to go along with six boards, entering halftime.

The Utes led the Cougars 45-31 entering the half. Moreover, the team shot a total of 56% from the field and 40% from the three. BYU on the other hand, got off to a sluggish start and shot only 36% from the field along with a pitiful 22% from beyond the arc.

The Utes' hot hand cooled off in the second half after BYU switched things up and began running a zone defense. As reported by Josh Furlong of KSL, “...as a result, Utah went on a shooting slump, where the Utes made just 1-of-10 field-goal attempts during the stretch that extended into more than seven minutes without a field goal.

While the Utes cooled down in the second half, the Cougars heated up. BYU stormed back, bringing the game to within about three points with a little over five minutes left in regulation.

The game's final five minutes were filled with excitement, with no moment more captivating than the game’s final sequence that solidified the outcome of a Utes’ hard-fought victory.

With :46 left in regulation, BYU’s Dallin Hall stole the ball from Hunter Erickson. In the ensuing fast break, Hall passed the ball to BYU sophomore Richie Saunders who buried a three to dwindle BYU’s deficit to two (71-69).

With about :10 left in the game, Branden Carlson missed a three of his own and gave BYU the ball with a chance to tie or win the game. BYU would then inbound the ball, sprint down the court, and in the haste of the game’s final play, turn the ball right back over to the Utes. Utah senior guard, Rollie Worster, then buried two free throws to put the Utes up four, sealing the team’s victory.

One time for the big home town fella💪 pic.twitter.com/jGOHth6PdQ

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) December 10, 2023

Madsen led the Utes in terms of points, scoring 17, including five made three-pointers on the night. Branden Carlson finished with 15 points of his own along with eight rebounds.

The Utes moved to 7-2 on the season with the victory over BYU. Following the current standings, the Utes’ game against BYU marks their final game against a ranked opponent until the team plays the current No. 1 team in the nation, Arizona, on Jan. 6th.