Utah Leans On Backcourt Firepower, Survive Rebounding Woes Vs Cal Baptist
Dec 6, 2025, 7:09 PM
Dec 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) moves the ball as California Baptist Lancers guard Dominique Daniels Jr. (1) defends during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah didn’t make it pretty. They didn’t fix their rebounding issues. And they certainly didn’t put Cal Baptist away when they had the chance.
But behind a combined 54 points from Terrence Brown and Don McHenry, and a closing stretch where Utah finally imposed order on a chaotic night, the Utes escaped with a 91–85 win at the Huntsman Center.
Playing without forward Seydou Traore, Utah started small and leaned heavily on pace, pressure, and guard creation. It worked… at least on one end of the floor.
The Utes shot 53% from the field, 47% from three, and forced 20 turnovers, but they surrendered 20 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points — an issue that turned a game Utah led by as many as 10 into a four-point nail-biter in the final minute.
First Half — Utah’s guards punch first
Alex Jensen opened with Terrence Brown, Don McHenry, Jacob Patrick, Keanu Dawes, and Josh Hayes, and the group immediately dictated tempo.
Brown scored at all three levels, Dawes facilitated and finished, and Utah forced turnover after turnover, turning live-ball mistakes into transition points. Brown’s deflections alone created three early run-outs, including a one-handed dunk that jolted the building.
But every Utah run was met with a Cal Baptist counter. The Lancers hammered the glass — they finished the half with 10 offensive rebounds — and kept the Utes from breaking the game open.
Still, Utah took a 41–38 lead into the break thanks to McHenry drilling a pull-up three as the halftime horn approached.
Second Half — Utah’s offense hums, defense springs leaks
Utah’s best stretch of the game came right out of the locker room. McHenry carved the lane for a floater, Dawes buried a mid-range jumper, and Utah’s ball movement created another Patrick corner three.
StatBroadcast put it plainly: When Utah ran offense, instead of over-dribbling, they scored efficiently. Utah posted 1.22 points per possession, their second-highest mark of the season.
The problem? They couldn’t secure the ball off the rim. Cal Baptist climbed back to 59–57 during a Utah scoring drought, fueled almost entirely by second-chance points. Utah’s defensive intensity cratered — the Lancers shot 56% in the second half, repeatedly getting downhill.
Closing Time — Brown and McHenry take over
With the game shrinking to a possession-by-possession battle, Utah’s backcourt delivered.
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Terrence Brown: 29 points, 11–17 FG, 3–5 3PT, 4 steals
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Don McHenry: 25 points, 7–13 FG, 3–6 3PT, 8–9 FT
Brown’s final run — a blocked passing lane, a transition layup, two clutch free throws, and a putback assist to Okonkwo — gave Utah breathing room at 83–77. McHenry followed with another pair of free throws and a late-clock creation to stabilize the offense.
Jacob Patrick’s elbow jumper at :58, only his fourth field goal of the night, pushed Utah ahead 87–82 and effectively ended the upset bid.
Final: Utah 91, Cal Baptist 85
Utah finishes the night with a profile that tells the story cleanly: 53% shooting from the field, 10 made threes, and a +14 margin in points off turnovers — all positive indicators. The Utes repeatedly punished Cal Baptist’s giveaways, turning live-ball turnovers into transition buckets and rhythm threes. On most nights, that’s enough to put a game away early.
But the stat that refused to go away — and nearly flipped the result — was the deficit on the glass. Utah lost the offensive rebounding battle 20–11, a -9 margin that translated to 19 second-chance points for Cal Baptist. The Lancers shot just 41% from the field yet stayed in the game solely because Utah couldn’t finish possessions. Every run Utah tried to build was undercut by an offensive rebound or a scramble possession going the other way.
In other words: Utah’s shooting won the game; Utah’s rebounding tried to give it back.
It wasn’t a complete performance, but it was a necessary one. A stabilizing win, a reminder of where the gaps still are, and another night where Utah’s backcourt carried the burden.
The Utes move to 7–3, survive a game that demanded far more late-game composure than it should have, and walk away knowing exactly what needs to improve before conference play raises the stakes.
If they rebound even average, this is a double-digit win. If they don’t address it, nights like this won’t end as cleanly.
