Utah Falls Short in First True Road Test Against California
Dec 2, 2025, 10:24 PM | Updated: Dec 3, 2025, 11:41 am
Utah guard Don McHenry's 24 pints weren't enough in a loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. (Bob Kupbens)
(Bob Kupbens)
Berkeley, Ca.— In Utah’s first true road game of the season delivered both promise and pain. The Utes battled an experienced California team inside Haas Pavilion, showing flashes of control and cohesion but ultimately fading late in a 79–72 loss.
Utah found balance in the offensive production — five players in double figures — but inefficiency and untimely mishaps and the Utes couldn’t overcome Cal’s second half surge.
Meanwhile, Cal’s backcourt stole the show— Dai Dai Ames dropped 25 points and Justin Pippin scored a career-high 23 to lead the Golden Bears.
First Half — Utah’s Strong Start, Sloppy Finish
Terrence Brown opened the night in rhythm, burying a 3-pointer on Utah’s first possession and sparking a quick personal 7-point run that kept the Utes even through the opening minutes.
A balanced attack from Keanu Dawes, Seydou Traore, and Jacob Patrick helped Utah seize a 17–10 advantage midway through the half, capped by an 8–0 surge fueled by quick tempo and defensive energy.
For a moment, it looked like Utah might seize control. Dawes battled in the paint, Patrick hit from deep, and Traore converted through contact in transition.
But Cal stayed within striking distance thanks to timely three-point shooting and Utah’s cold stretch over the final four minutes.
Unfortunately for Utah, a late 7–0 run by the Bears flipped the momentum and sent the Utes into halftime trailing 42–34 — a frustrating turnaround after leading most of the half.
Second Half — Flashes of Fight, Not Enough Finishes Against California
Utah responded out of the break with the kind of execution head coach Alex Jensen will want to bottle. It was a frenzied opening six minutes of un-interrupted action.
Don McHenry hit a pull-up jumper, Traore scored in transition, and Dawes punished the rim with back-to-back finishes to cut the deficit to 50–48.
But just as quickly, poor shot selection and defensive lapses reappeared. A pair of missed corner threes and breakdowns in transition allowed Cal to rebuild a nine-point lead.
However, an encouraging sign of progress for Utah was the fact that each time the Bears threatened to pull away, Utah punched back. Patrick made plays on both ends of the floor. Brown’s aggression downhill. Traore’s flashes of playmaking all kept the Utes within striking distance.
Yet missed free throws and late-game turnovers proved costly. Brown missed the front end of 1+1, two crucial freebies, and then Utah suffered a shot-clock violation in the final minute to seal their fate.
Cal closed it out at the line, handing Utah a lesson in finishing on the road.
Final Box Highlights
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Terrence Brown: 15 points, 2 assists, 5-of-13 from the field
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Keanu Dawes: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5-of-9 shooting
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Seydou Traore: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
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Jacob Patrick: 13 points, 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
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Don McHenry: 10 points, 4-of-12 shooting
Utah shot 42% from the field and 29% from 3-point range, while limiting Cal to 45% from the field and 39% from deep. The difference came at the charity stripe, where Utah converted a 14-of-19, but Cal was able to convert 22-of-24 at the line.
The Utes held tough and though this is the third loss of the season already, there were some encouraging signs. Utah’s defensive effort was strong throughout the night, they did a solid job on the glass, and created some quality looks throughout the night.
