Utah Unable To Hang With Baylor On Their Home Court, Fall 76-61
Jan 25, 2025, 4:47 PM | Updated: Jan 27, 2025, 11:17 am
SALT LAKE CITY—The Utes returned home to the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the first of two home games. Unfortunately, the Baylor Bears spoiled Utah’s return home, as they knocked off the Utes, 76-61
Utah looked better than its performance against Houston on Wednesday night. It also looked better against Baylor, the team it faced in the conference opener. However, Utah has not made enough improvement to protect its home floor against the Bears.
The Utes struggled from the field, converting just 40% of their shots, including another brutal outing (5-of-22) behind the 3-point line. Ezra Ausar and Miro Little did all they could to keep Utah in the game, but Gabe Madsen’s struggles continue to be an issue.
Starters for Utah against Baylor
Craig Smith stuck with the same starting five, which were as follows:
Mike Sharavjamts, Gabe Madsen, Jake Wahlin, Ezra Ausar, and Lawson Lovering.
First Half, Baylor Vs. Utah
Utah got off to a fantastic start against Baylor. In three minutes of action, they jumped out to a 9-2 lead, which led to a Baylor timeout. Utah started the game with a defensive stop, which led to a Gabe Madsen 3-pointer in transition. After another defensive stop, Ezra Ausar got it going on the other end. He scored three consecutive buckets at the rim, punctuated by a vicious two-handed throwdown that led to Scott Drew calling a timeout at the 16:59 mark.
Locomotive coming THROUGH‼️
An emphatic @ezraausar 🔨#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/69iujrEuaX
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 25, 2025
Following the timeout, the Bears were able to cut Utah’s advantage down to 11-9 by the next break in the action at the 15:15 mark.
15:15 – The first substations of the game included Keanu Dawes, Zach Keller, and Hunter Erickson in for Lovering, Ausar, and Sharavjamts. Unfortunately, Utah turned it over four times before Keller knocked down an open 3-pointer from the corner. Baylor took a 17-14 lead into the next media timeout with Norchad Omier shooting free throws after.
11:45 – Omier knocked down both free throws, which gave Baylor a 19-14 lead. On the Utes’ ensuing possession, Ausar was fouled driving to the rim, but missed both free throws. Utah struggled to create quality looks on the offensive end, which allowed Baylor to extend their lead to double-digits.
After a defensive stop, Miro Little was fouled driving in transition. He knocked down not one but both of his free throws, which ended Utah’s scoring drought of nearly five minutes.
7:38 – Little was fouled and knocked down both free throws again after a couple of empty possessions. VJ Edgecombe knocked down 3-pointers on consecutive possessions before a layup, which extended Baylor’s lead to 34-18. Mason Madsen was fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 free throws.
Utah’s offensive struggles were highlighted by a transition opportunity where Little threw a lob pass to Dawes. The pass was a bit too far out, which resulted in a missed layup for Dawes and a putback attempt by Little. Fortunately, Little was fouled on the putback attempt. That got the game to the next media timeout down.
3:54 – After Little knocked down both free throws, Utah cut the lead to 34-21. After a defensive stop on the other end, Utah worked the offense a little, which resulted in an open Little 3-pointer. After an Omier free throw, Caleb Lohner knocked down a layup attempt on the other end to make it a 35-26 game.
Defense to offense!
BLOCK by @keanu_28 leads to the transition triple by @masmadsen 🎯
7pt Game#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/26OgzSO9n8
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 25, 2025
In the final minute and a half, Dawes blocked a layup attempt, which led to a 3-pointer by M. Madsen in transition. After another defensive stop, Utah worked the halfcourt offense, which led to another M. Madsen jumper from the corner, cutting Baylor’s lead to 38-31.
Second Half – Utah 31, Baylor 38
Baylor opened the half with a 5-0 run to build a 12-point advantage. Then, Utah responded with a 6-o run of their own. Wahlin scored on consecutive possessions, including a dunk in transition. Then Ausar grabbed an offensive rebound and finished at the rim to make it 43-37, which led to a Baylor timeout at the 16:48 mark.
Finding the cutting @WahlinJake for the hammer 🔨
cc: @GabeMadsen53 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/OKwv0ZdsCL
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 25, 2025
After the break, Baylor Jalen Celestine knocked down a jumper. On Utah’s ensuing possession, they missed consecutive 3-point attempts, but Ausar was fouled on the second offensive rebound of the possession, which led to the first media timeout of the half.
15:50 – After the break, Ausar was fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 from the line to make it a 45-38 game. On the next possession, he scored another one at the rim, grabbing his own miss and converting the second chance opportunity.
Unfortunately, Utah struggled defensively to secure rebounds. Baylor extended a couple of possessions with offensive rebounds, they grabbed six and scored 8 second-chance points to this point of the half.
11:46 – Baylor scored a layup after the break to push their lead back to 12 points. Afterwards, Ausar checked into the game and, after drawing help on post-up with Omier, dished to Lovering for a dunk. Ausar then scored on the ensuing possession to cut the lead back down to eight, 52-44. Baylor also called another timeout, who was also assessed a delay of game warning after the timeout.
After a couple of empty possessions for both Utah and Baylor, Ausar was fouled on a layup attempt. That sent him back to the free throw line where he knocked down 1-of-2, which make it a 54-45 game. Baylor’s Edgecombe sunk a corner 3-pointer which put the lead back to 12 points.
7:57 – Ausar was fouled prior to the break and knocked down 1-of-2 from the line. Unfortunately, Edgecombe knocked down another wild shot on the other end for Baylor.
On Utah’s ensuing possession, they worked the ball on the perimeter, creating an open look for Little, who knocked down the 3-pointer from the right wing. Baylor scored again, and Ausar was fouled on Utah’s next possession, where he actually knocked down both free throws. That made it a 65-53 game at the next media timeout.
Miro strikes again‼️🎯@MiroLittle23 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/Xv902Pi9lH
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 25, 2025
4:19 – Unfortunately, the next 90 seconds of action was all Baylor. They were able to extend their lead to 70-55, with a couple of Omier baskets. Craig Smith took a timeout at the 2:34 mark, but this one felt over.
2:34 – Ausar scored a basket at the rim to make it 70-57. In the end, the Bears defeat Utah 76-61.
UP NEXT – Cincinnati vs Utah
Utah wraps up the two-game homestand against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Tuesday, Jan. 28, inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The two programs square off for the first time since 1965. Rich Waltz and Pete Gillen will call the action for fans on CBS Sports Network as the two programs duke it out for the first time as conference foes starting at 8 p.m. (MST).
