Utah Pulls Away, Earning A Comfortable Win Over Eastern Washington
Dec 20, 2025, 7:03 PM
University of Utah Utes vs. SJSU Spartans, Utah Men's Basketball at John M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Nov 3, 2025. (Photo: Joel A. Davidson )
(Photo: Joel A. Davidson )
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s final non-conference home game was a slow burn that turned into a flamethrower.
After spending much of the first half probing Eastern Washington’s zone defenses and battling its own rebounding issues, the Runnin’ Utes eventually broke the game wide open, rolling to a 101–75 win Friday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Utah opened with Terrence Brown, Don McHenry, Seydou Traore, Keanu Dawes, and James Okonkwo, and immediately tried to establish their defensive intent.
The Utes doubled EWU forward Kiree Huie on the opening possession, forced a rushed three, and Dawes secured the rebound. On the other end, Traore drilled an open corner three — the first of his 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting — to give Utah an early 3–0 lead.
Utah tried but rebounding issues continued
Early on, Utah’s defense was active but imperfect. The Utes forced a shot-clock violation in the opening minutes and held Eastern Washington to contested jumpers, but lapses on the glass allowed EWU to stay attached.
Huie (17 points, 9 rebounds) and Alton Hamilton IV (19 points, 9 rebounds) repeatedly extended possessions as Utah struggled to finish defensive stops.
Offensively, Utah worked through a steady diet of matchup zone and 3–2 looks. Dawes found success along the baseline and in the dunker spot, scoring efficiently while Utah searched for rhythm.
By the midway point of the half, Dawes already had double figures and would finish the night a perfect 9-for-9 from the field for 21 points, adding 9 rebounds in one of his most assertive performances of the season.
The game swung late in the first half when Utah finally paired stops with rebounds. Brown began pushing pace after misses, McHenry found space off the ball, and the Utes started to run.
Kendyl Sanders continues to be a bright spot
Kendyl Sanders provided a spark off the bench, attacking gaps for finishes and knocking down a corner three. Utah closed the half shooting an absurd 74% from the field, taking a 50–34 lead into the break.
The second half briefly echoed the first. Eastern Washington grabbed multiple offensive rebounds on one possession, prompting an early timeout from head coach Alex Jensen. From there, Utah flipped the switch.
Brown took control as both a scorer and facilitator. The sophomore guard finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and four steals, repeatedly turning defense into offense. His momentum-shifting sequence — a steal followed by a hammer dunk, then a pull-up jumper — pushed Utah’s lead beyond 15 and broke EWU’s resistance.
McHenry delivered the knockout shooting performance. The junior guard poured in a game-high 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, knocking down 6-of-9 from three and finishing with a +21 plus/minus. Every Eastern Washington run was answered by a McHenry bucket — often from deep, often late in the clock.
As Utah’s guards dictated tempo, the efficiency followed. Utah finished the night shooting 68.4% from the field and 52.4% from three, piling up 23 assists on 39 made baskets. The Utes dominated transition (22–2 fast-break advantage) and the paint (52–36 points in the paint) once rebounds were secured.
By the final media timeout, the outcome was academic. Utah pushed the lead as high as 29 points, emptied the bench, and crossed the century mark on a McHenry triple in the final minute.
The early rebounding issues will linger on the film. The finishing stretch will dominate the headlines.
Utah didn’t just win — it showed what this roster looks like when pace, spacing, and decisiveness all align.
