Utah Unravels In Final Minutes, Fall To Oklahoma State
Jan 31, 2026, 6:13 PM | Updated: 6:33 pm
Jan 31, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Anthony Roy (9) moves the ball against Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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SALT LAKE CITY—Utah had its chances — and even moments of control — but couldn’t hold onto either. Oklahoma State capitalized on second-chance points, timely shot-making, and Utah’s missed details down the stretch to pull away for a 81–69 win Saturday evening at the Huntsman Center, wasting a competitive performance that unraveled in the game’s final 10 minutes.
The crowd was great today for the Utes, who tried to will the team to victory in the final minutes. Unfortunately, the Utes just could not make the plays they needed to down the stretch.
Oklahoma State’s Anthony Roy led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep. Terrence Brown led Utah with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field.
Final from the Huntsman Center
Oklahoma State – 81
Utah – 69— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) February 1, 2026
First-Half, Utah vs Oklahoma State
Utah opened the night with the same starting five it’s used in recent games, but the first few minutes were anything but clean. The Utes gave up an offensive rebound and second-chance points on Oklahoma State’s opening possession, then watched Terrence Brown force a tough shot that turned into an easy Cowboys basket the other way. Early margins were thin.
Finally Utah settled in after a Keanu Dawes dunk. Later, Utah hit back-to-back 3-pointers— one apiece for Dawes and Don McHenry to take an 8-6 lead. After a few minutes, McHenry added a four-point play, and Dawes knocked down two free throws to push the lead to 16–9.
Then the game flipped. Anthony Roy caught fire, draining three straight threes as Utah went cold, and Vyctorious Miller’s layup capped a run that swung the lead back to Oklahoma State, 20–16.
Utah answered with energy plays. Seydou Traore jumped a passing lane which led to a transition dunk, Brown followed with one of his own after another turnover, and the game settled into a possession-by-possession grind.
Steal-and-SLAM for @iamseydou35‼️👀
📺 #ESPN2 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/dstMfZZ3PO
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 31, 2026
With just over five minutes left in the half, Utah found itself navigating the most volatile stretch of the opening 20 minutes. A turnover by Keanu Dawes led directly to a Kanye Clary three, pushing Oklahoma State in front 29–26 and forcing Utah to chase the game. From there, it turned into a series of tight exchanges rather than sustained runs.
Later, Kendyl Sanders delivered one of Utah’s biggest shots of the half — a rhythm corner three off ball movement that tied the game, 33-33.
In the final two minutes, Utah leaned on execution rather than pace. McHenry attack downhill, Traore earned trips to the free-throw line, and Utah stayed composed.
Still, Oklahoma State closed the half with just a bit more precision, getting a late bucket from Christian Coleman to take a 40–39 lead into the break — a one-point margin that reflected how little separated the two teams in a tense, possession-heavy finish.
Second Half, Oklahoma State 40, Utah 17
After a slow start to the second half, Utah briefly took control by leaning into its core pieces. Keanu Dawes opened the half with a layup, Terrence Brown drew an offensive foul, and Seydou Traore scored on a jump hook to give Utah a 43–42 lead during a stretch where the Utes scored on four of five possessions.
Brown’s pull-up jumper and a layup off a James Okonkwo screen pushed Utah ahead 48–44 at the under-16 media timeout. At that point, Utah had held Oklahoma State scoreless for nearly three minutes and was shooting 57% in the half.
The margin didn’t last.
Utah lost Anthony Roy on a defensive rotation, and he made them pay with one of his five threes. Roy finished with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, repeatedly punishing perimeter mistakes. A moving screen and free throws flipped the lead, and Oklahoma State began to control the game through efficiency.
Utah continued to get effort plays — particularly from Okonkwo — but couldn’t finish possessions. Oklahoma State won the rebounding battle 40–32 and outscored Utah 12–4 in second-chance points, including an 8–2 edge on the offensive glass in the second half.
From there, Utah struggled to keep pace. The Utes shot just 40% after halftime and 1-of-7 from three, while Oklahoma State stayed steady at 48%. Traore briefly cut it to 57–55 with a late-clock three, but defensive breakdowns and missed free throws stalled any sustained push.
A late Oklahoma State run pushed the lead to double digits, and by the time Dawes hit two free throws with 1:16 left to make it 75–67, the outcome was effectively decided. Free throws for Oklahoma State and easy ones for Utah down the stretch got it to the final, 81-69.
