Utah Comes Up Short After 40 Minute Back-And-Forth With Kansas State
Jan 20, 2026, 9:24 PM | Updated: 9:30 pm
Jan 20, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard P.J. Haggerty (4) dribbles against Utah Utes forward Seydou Traore (0) and guard Terrence Brown (2) during the first half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — Utah didn’t get overwhelmed by a road atmosphere or the shot-making. But Utah didn’t do enough defensively and didn’t have answers offensively down the stretch. The Runnin’ Utes leave with an 81–78 road loss to Kansas State inside Bramlage Coliseum.
For most of the night, the Utes matched Kansas State possession-for-possession. They generated quality offense in stretches throughout the game, won the physical areas of the game, and had multiple chances in the final two minutes to steal a road win that would have aged well in Big 12 play.
Terrence Brown did all he could offensively, scoring 33 points on 14-of-24 shooting. However, PJ Haggerty had his way in the second half, scoring 28 of his 34 points, as Utah just couldn’t stop him.
Keanu Dawes who was listed as ‘Questionable’ on the availability report, was clearly limited and unable to make much of a difference in this one.
What ultimately decided it was a familiar culprit: early defensive breakdowns from three-point range and one fewer made play at the margin.
Kansas State finished 12-of-23 from three (52.2%), including 10 made threes in the first half, and that volume — not dominance everywhere else — was just enough to survive a monster performance from Terrence Brown, who poured in 33 points on 14-of-24 shooting.
How the Game Unfolded
Early Control Slips Away
Utah opened the game with intent and sharp execution, jumping out to a 7–2 lead while controlling early tempo. The start looked exactly like the road formula Utah wanted: organized offense, paint touches, and controlled possessions.
That control evaporated quickly.
Kansas State ripped off a 13–2 run, fueled almost entirely by perimeter breakdowns. Three straight made threes flipped the floor, the crowd, and the momentum, forcing Utah into chase mode before the first media timeout.
By the second media stoppage, Kansas State was 5-of-6 from deep, while Utah sat at 7-of-16 from the floor, already behind in the possession math. The Wildcats pushed the lead to 28–18, capitalizing on live-ball turnovers and transition chances — the exact areas Utah could least afford to give away.
An early timeout followed, and it was necessary. The game was slipping structurally, not just on the scoreboard.
Utah’s First Big Response
This is where the game quietly changed.
Utah steadied itself defensively, strung together consecutive stops, and forced a 0-of-4 Kansas State drought that allowed the Utes to reset the game on their terms.
The response came in layers:
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Brown jumped a passing lane for a steal and dunk
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Seydou Traore finished through contact inside
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Back-to-back threes from Brown and Don McHenry flipped the energy
In a matter of minutes, Utah erased a double-digit hole and tied it at 34–34 — a massive swing considering Kansas State’s shooting heater and the environment.
Even after a brief lull and a costly bench technical that gave Kansas State free points and momentum, Utah refused to crack. Despite allowing 10 made threes in the first half, the Utes went into the break down just 46–43.
That margin mattered. It told you this wasn’t a game spiraling — it was one waiting to be decided late.
Second Half: Utah, Kansas State Shot-for-Shot Battle
Utah came out of halftime aggressive and connected. Suddenly, Utah had flipped the script and owned a 49–46 lead, thanks to a couple of steals and finishes in transition.
From there, the game settled into a true Big 12 grind. No one could land a knockout blow. Utah took small leads. Kansas State answered. The margin never stretched beyond two possessions for either side.
Brown and McHenry carried the shot creation load, while Josh Hayes and Traore did the dirty work — offensive rebounds, tip-ins, paint finishes, and physical defense. Utah controlled the interior, consistently winning second-chance opportunities and points off turnovers.
With under four minutes left, the game was tied again. Utah got stops. Brown buried a huge three. Then a layup. Then a steal that looked like it might finally tilt the game.
The Final Two Minutes
Utah had multiple chances to take control — and couldn’t quite finish.
With 2:51 left and the game tied, Terrence Brown jumped a passing lane, drew a foul, and went to the line. He split the pair, giving Utah a one-point lead instead of two. Utah followed that with a defensive stop — exactly what you want — but couldn’t convert. Brown missed a jumper, Josh Hayes grabbed the offensive rebound, and Seydou Traore missed a clean look from three. Zero points on a possession that included a free throw, a stop, and an offensive board.
Kansas State made Utah pay.
At 1:45, Haggerty hit a tough jumper, drew the foul, and completed the three-point play to flip the game back in K-State’s favor. Utah again generated chances — two more offensive rebounds and two missed threes — before Brown finally tied it at 77–77 with a minute left.
Kansas State went right back to Haggerty, who hit another contested jumper at :39. Utah had a chance to answer, but Brown missed a layup at :24. Then came the break Utah needed: Haggerty threw the ball out of bounds at :19, giving Utah the ball down two with a chance to tie or win.
Kansas State fouled. Don McHenry went to the line with :11 left and split the pair — again, one point instead of two. Forced to foul, Utah watched Nate Johnson go 2-for-2 at the line. Brown’s final three at the buzzer didn’t fall.
The theme was simple: Utah got the stops and the looks. But Kansas State made the plays.
The Bottom Line
Utah didn’t quite finish enough late. The Utes won the physical areas — paint points, second chances, and points off turnovers — and generated 1.147 points per possession in a hostile road environment. That’s a winning profile most nights.
However, Kansas State hit 12 threes, 10 of them in the first half, which then allowed Haggerty to take complete control in the second half. Utah hasn’t had many defensive answers this season, and that proved to be the issue tonight as well.
Even then, Utah had chances in the final two minutes. Good ones. They just didn’t convert enough of them.
