Utes Rally In Colorado, Deliver Season-Saving Win
Feb 24, 2026, 11:53 PM | Updated: Feb 25, 2026, 12:30 pm
Lani White leads Utah women's basketball to win over Colorado. Photo courtesy by Utah Athletics.
BOULDER, Colo. — The Utes season was wobbling coming into their matchup against 20-win Colorado, and even more so at halftime.
Down seven on the road, staring at another missed opportunity, the Utes needed something — urgency, edge, belief.
And Gavin Peterson’s squad found all three.
Behind a dominant third quarter— a period that has given Utah trouble in recent outings — led by 21 points from Lani White, the Utes stormed back to beat Colorado 67–64 at the CU Events Center, a win that very well may have salvaged its postseason hopes.
Bringing the W home to Utah!!!#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/DcuRE4OGqW
— Utah Women’s Basketball (@UTAHWBB) February 25, 2026
The Turnaround: A 23-Point Third Quarter
Utah trailed 33–26 at the break after Colorado controlled the tempo in the second quarter. The Buffs shot 47% in that frame and built a 10-point lead late in the half.
The Utes exploded for 23 points in the third, shooting 5-of-9 from the field, 3-of-4 from three, and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. White poured in 12 in the quarter alone, including a three that tied the game and a series of aggressive drives that forced Colorado to defend without fouling — and they couldn’t.
More importantly, Utah’s defense tightened the screws. Colorado shot just 6-of-19 (32%) in the third. The Buffs finished the game at 34.4% overall and 4-of-13 from three. The effort on both ends of the floor was all the difference.
Lani White Closed It
White finished with 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting, hit three triples, and went 8-of-10 from the line. Fourteen of those points came after halftime.
This wasn’t volume scoring. It was timely scoring. When Utah needed a bucket, she got downhill. When Colorado made a push, she answered at the line. That’s veteran shot-making in a hostile building.
UTES WIN✅
Utah vs. Colorado Highlights⬇️#Big12WBB | @UTAHWBB pic.twitter.com/YfEuNCvTO7
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) February 25, 2026
Reese Ross added 10 points and seven rebounds. Maty Wilke chipped in nine points and four steals. Chyra Evans filled the stat sheet with seven points, six boards, four assists and steady interior defense.
Nine different players scored — but they absolutely needed their best player to look like it, and White delivered.
The Winning Formula
Here’s the blueprint Utah followed:
- Shot 45.5% from the field
- Hit 9-of-18 from three (50%)
- Scored 18 points off turnovers
- Generated 17 fast-break points
- Outscored Colorado 41–31 in the second half
Colorado actually won the rebounding battle (36–30) and got 16 points from Desiree Wooten and 10 from Zya Walker. But the Buffs turned it over 12 times and couldn’t make Utah pay late.
The Utes led for nearly 21 minutes of game time and closed it with composure. Their final field goal came with 33 seconds left — and from there, they defended without blinking.
Why This One Matters
Utah came into tonight at 17–11 overall and 8–8 in Big 12 play, teetering right on the NCAA Tournament cut line and squarely in the middle of the pack in a league that’s loaded top to bottom.
A loss would’ve pushed them under .500 in the league and left them scrambling for résumé-building wins with just a couple games to play. In a Big 12 where every win counts and the bubble picture is razor thin, a win like this moves Utah from also-ran to bubble threat. It keeps them above the handful of sub-.500 teams still fighting for seeding and postseason relevance.
Utah’s season has been defined by peaks and valleys — strong showings undermined by lapses. This win, built on a third-quarter surge and a composed finish, was the kind you only get from a team that’s growing up and tightening its identity.
With the Big 12 Tournament looming, Utah needed a signature performance to quiet talk about being out of gas. Beating Colorado on the road — where a loss would’ve soured the locker room — gives them a proven clutch win to lean on.
Put simply: this win keeps Utah in the NCAA conversation, boosts confidence, and gives them meaningful leverage in a brutal Big 12 gauntlet.
