Utah Survives The Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons In 85-77 Win

SALT LAKE CITY— Utah came into the night looking to stack another win and build momentum, instead they got way more than they bargained for against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons. Alex Jensen’s squad improves to 5-0 after an 85-77 win, but this was a frustrating ride.

Final from the @HuntsmanCenter! pic.twitter.com/2hx1RSIVtQ

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 19, 2025

Despite vastly improved shooting numbers, Utah converted 12-of-29 from 3-point range, but the Utes repeatedly struggled to put the Mastodons away. Jensen at one point called a rather animated timeout, which included a smashed clipboard, and still his squad couldn’t put the opponent away. Even in the final seconds, the Utes held onto just a six-point lead.

Terrence Brown led the way again with 27 points, highlighted by his best 3-point shooting night of 5-of-8 from deep. Don McHenry added 18 points, while Seydou Traore scored 17 and Keanu Dawes finished with another double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

There were multiple stretches where Utah built double-digit leads — including an early surge from Brown and a second-half burst of three-pointers — the Utes failed to bury the opponent, stalling offensively for nearly six minutes late in the game and giving up a series of uncontested layups and threes.

Utah twice pushed its lead to 16, only to let Purdue Fort Wayne immediately trim the margin due to sloppy passing, poor defensive rotations, and missed opportunities at the rim.

This one will go in the win column — but Jensen’s film session is going to be loud.

A crisp offensive start, led by Traore, Hayes, McHenry and Brown

Purdue Fort Wayne struck first off the tip, but Utah answered immediately and forcefully. Seydou Traore opened the scoring with a confident left-wing three, Josh Hayes followed with an easy dunk off a clean dime from Don McHenry, and McHenry added a layup of his own in transition. Even with a defensive mistake that gave PFW a layup, Utah controlled the opening minutes.

Terrence Brown then started his warm-up act: a clean left-corner three, then a defensive rebound that he pushed in transition to set up Kendyl Sanders for a layup. Utah hit the first media timeout up 13–7, showing good offensive rhythm even while the defense lagged behind.

After the break, Utah’s interior defense momentarily cratered, giving up a pair of uncontested layups on poor rotations. Jensen immediately adjusted from the sideline — and the response was loud. Brown went nuclear, scoring the next eight Utah points, including a tough lefty lane finish and back-to-back corner triples. Just like that, Utah led 21–11 and had complete control.

Obomate Abbey finds a trailing @keanu_28 for the two-hand finish. #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/V6XtX0Iyyw

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 19, 2025

McHenry added another driving layup, intercepted a pass but turned it over right back on the other end, which turned into a PFW transition three — a perfect snapshot of Utah’s night: strong play, offset by self-inflicted wounds.

Still, the Utes held a 28–16 lead after a Hayes jump hook before giving up another PFW three to make it 28–19 at the under-8 timeout.

Okonkwo’s hustle takes center stage; Traore heats up again

James Okonkwo owned the next sequence. His energy completely changed possessions — two offensive rebounds, multiple tip-outs, and relentless effort that led directly to second-chance finishes from Traore and Dawes. That stretch breathed life into the Utes.

Then the offense found its best rhythm of the half: Traore drilled back-to-back corner threes, the first off a Brown pick-and-roll spray and the second on a drive-and-kick from Dawes. Utah suddenly led 40–26 and looked ready to bury the Mastodons.

Instead, the final three minutes of the half turned sloppy. The Utes threw three careless passes that turned into live-ball turnovers and easy layups the other way. Dawes stopped the bleeding with a last-second layup, giving Utah a 42–32 halftime lead that felt far smaller than it should’ve been.

Brown opens the second half firing — but Utah loses the rope defensively

If the end of the first half annoyed Jensen, the start of the second half probably infuriated him. It began with promise — Brown drilled consecutive threes in the first minute of the period to balloon the lead to 16 — but Utah immediately gave back the margin with a dreadful defensive stretch: two straight threes allowed and a free layup.

Baller Brown, back at it again
27 points dropped 🎤
Terrance Brown Highlights vs. Purdue Fort Wayne🎬#Big12MBB | @UtahMBB pic.twitter.com/b483mPcnUm

— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 19, 2025

McHenry and Traore steadied things briefly with threes of their own, sending Utah into the first media timeout up 54–42.

But the turnover problem was aging poorly.

After trading layups, the Utes coughed up the ball repeatedly, letting Purdue Fort Wayne linger. When the lead shrunk to 60–52 following an uncontested tap-in, Jensen called a timeout and delivered the message with unmistakable volume — slamming the clipboard and demanding urgency.

The team responded, at least temporarily. A 5–0 burst — McHenry’s driving layup, a defensive stop, and a Jacob Patrick spot-up three — rebuilt the lead. Brown added free throws and then ripped a steal for a fastbreak layup, putting Utah up 69–56 at the under-8 timeout.

Utah stalls for nearly six minutes but survives

Just when Utah looked ready to close the door, the offense completely shut down. The Utes went scoreless for nearly six minutes while Purdue Fort Wayne carved the lead down to 69–63. The turnovers didn’t stop. The missed rotations didn’t stop. And the rim protection vanished entirely.

Finally, Dawes broke the drought with a layup, and Utah scraped together enough defensive stops to rebuild a small cushion. Sanders, Traore, McHenry, and Brown all chipped in stabilization plays down the stretch, but the ending felt more like holding your breath than closing with authority.

Utah escaped 85–77 — not comfortably, and not cleanly.

👌👌👌👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/hB3CA5Tjas

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) November 19, 2025

Final Thoughts — A win with lessons written all over it

Utah showed very real strengths:

• Elite shooting stretches from Brown, Traore, and McHenry

• Rebounding not where it needed to be, only +2 in margin

• Balanced scoring and shot creation off the dribble and play action

But the red flags were much louder:

• Turnovers — far too many, far too casual

• Rim protection inconsistent and often absent

• Defensive rotations repeatedly late or incorrect

• Inability to bury an inferior opponent despite multiple chances

This win includes no style points — but it gives Jensen ammunition he’ll absolutely use. The Utes flashed the offensive upside to be dangerous, but they also showed the flaws that will get them burned once Big 12 play arrives.

Utah is building something, and the flashes are promising. But if this team wants to look the part of a contender, the sloppiness has to go — fast. For now, the Utes move to the next one with things to build, but plenty more to clean up.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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