Colorado Dominates Early, Holds Off Utah Rally
Mar 3, 2026, 9:05 PM | Updated: 11:02 pm
Mar 3, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Jalin Holland (11) goes up for a shot over Utah Utes forward Keanu Dawes (8) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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SALT LAKE CITY — Colorado seized control early Tuesday night and never truly let go, building a massive first-half lead before holding off a late Utah push to secure a 92–78 win at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
The Buffaloes shot a blistering 62% from the field and 56% from three, turning a scorching offensive start into a commanding halftime cushion that Utah simply couldn’t erase despite a much sharper second half.
Colorado’s First-Half Avalanche
For roughly five minutes, the game looked competitive. Utah tied the game at 13–13 midway through the first half after an Obomate Abbey jumper, but Colorado responded with a decisive surge that flipped the entire night.
The Buffaloes ripped off a series of transition baskets and perimeter shots, fueled by Utah turnovers and relentless efficiency. By the final media timeout of the half, Colorado had turned a tight game into a rout.
Colorado closed the first half on a dominant stretch to take a 51–25 lead into halftime, shooting:
- 19-of-28 from the field (68%)
- 5-of-8 from three (63%)
- 8-of-9 from the free-throw line
Utah, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm offensively:
- 10-of-29 shooting (34%)
- 0-for-9 from three
- 9 turnovers in the half
Colorado also punished those mistakes, scoring 13 points off turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
Utah Fights Back After the Break
To their credit, the Utes looked like a completely different team after halftime. Utah came out aggressive offensively and dramatically improved its shooting efficiency, hitting 15-of-20 shots (75%) in the second half while knocking down 6-of-7 from three.
Terrence Brown sparked the rally, scoring multiple baskets during a mid-half push that trimmed the deficit to single digits late in the game.
The Utes eventually cut the margin to nine points (68–77) with just over six minutes remaining after a Seydou Traore three-pointer.
But every time Utah threatened, Colorado had an answer. The Buffaloes steadied themselves with timely baskets and nearly perfect free-throw shooting down the stretch to put the game away.
Colorado’s Balanced Attack
Colorado didn’t rely on a single star — it was a full lineup effort.
Five Buffaloes scored in double figures:
- Bangot Dak — 22 points, 9 rebounds
- Isaiah Johnson — 20 points, 4 assists
- Barrington Hargress — 19 points (3-for-3 from three)
- Jalin Holland — 11 points
- Josiah Sanders — 8 points, 5 assists
Colorado finished the night with:
- 31-of-50 shooting (62%)
- 9-of-16 from three
- 19-of-21 from the free-throw line
Utah’s Top Performers
Despite the loss, Utah had several productive individual performances.
- Terrence Brown — 22 points, 4 assists
- Don McHenry — 19 points
- Seydou Traore — 9 points
- Kendyl Sanders — 8 points off the bench
Utah finished the game shooting a respectable 51% overall, but the first-half deficit proved too large to overcome.
By the Numbers
Colorado
- FG: 62%
- 3PT: 56%
- FT: 90%
- Assists: 17
Utah
- FG: 51%
- 3PT: 37%
- FT: 82%
- Turnovers: 10
Colorado also dominated key momentum categories, including points off turnovers (15–6) and fast break points (15–10).
The Bottom Line
Utah played well enough offensively to compete in the second half, but the first half was abysmal that even the best effort could only cut the deficit to nine points.
Colorado’s scorching shooting and transition offense built a 26-point halftime lead, and while the Utes showed fight after the break, the hole was simply too deep.
The formula was simple: Colorado controlled the pace, punished turnovers, and shot lights-out. By the time Utah found its rhythm, the Buffaloes already had the game in hand.
