Utah Falls 87-72 To UCF In Big 12 Tournament Opening Round
Mar 11, 2025, 9:51 PM | Updated: Mar 12, 2025, 9:49 am
SALT LAKE CITY—Utah basketball lost 87—72 in their Big 12 tournament opening round matchup against the UCF Knights, which brings the Utes’ season to an end.
After allowing just nine UCF points through the first ten minutes of action, the Knights would score 78 in the remaining 30 of the game. Utah’s defensive fell apart and was unable to keep UCF’s leading scorers Keyshawn Hall and Jordan Ivy-Curry from scoring, almost at will.
Utah was without Ezra Ausar for this one, who suffered a knee injury against BYU. That put Keanu Dawes in the starting lineup, and Dawes did all that he could to keep Utah in the game. He finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Starters for Utah Basketball in Big 12 Tournament opener
Without Ausar, Josh Eilert switched up the starting five, which was as follows:
Mike Sharavjamts, Gabe Madsen, Jake Wahlin, Keanu Dawes, Lawson Lovering
First Half, Runnin’ Utes Vs. Knights
The UCF Knights started the game quite well, as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead within the first two minutes. Mike Sharavjamts scored the first points for Utah, a dunk from a Lawson Lovering assist. Then, Lovering scored the next 6 points, all of which came at the rim. Then Jake Wahlin threw down dunk to give Utah a 10-7 lead at the first media timeout.
EmPHATIC 8-0 run after a back-to-back series of @lawson_lovering slams and capped by this cutting @WahlinJake HAMMER 🔨 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/unZHK0iqIa
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 12, 2025
15:25 – After the break, Keanu Dawes putback a Gabe Madsen miss to extend Utah’s run to 10-0. Then, Utah had two empty possessions but they protected the ball and even grabbed a couple of offensive rebounds to extend their possessions, but just couldn’t get a shot to fall.
Utah’s defense packed the paint to take away driving lanes but still did a good job of contesting on the perimeter. The Utes held the Knights scoreless for over six minutes. Finally after a couple of empty possessions, Zach Keller threw down a dunk off a Wahlin assist to give Utah a 14-7 lead at the next media timeout.
The ball movement is just 🤌@MiroLittle23 ➡️ @WahlinJake ➡️ @ZachKeller19 🔨 #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/xKTw5BCJ3d
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 12, 2025
11:57 – After the timeout, Utah had an inbound play that led to a ferocious Dawes alley-oop throwdown. UCF finally scored to end their scoring drought, but Utah responded with a Wahlin layup finish plus the foul, which gave him three points the old-fashioned way. After another defensive stop, Keller had a layup that was goaltended and gave Utah a 21-9 lead.
LOOK OUT BELOW for @keanu_28 ‼️
cc: @MiroLittle23 on the inbounds #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/IC4pmdEiQj
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 12, 2025
UCF’s Darius Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer to trim the lead, but Hunter Erickson knocked down a one-footed fadeaway jumper, which also served as a second chance bucket. Moustapha Thiam then knocked down a 3-pointer to cut Utah’s lead to 23-15.
Dawes then added an offensive rebound and putback off of a Keller miss. However, Thiam went to the line and split the pair. After a near-turnover, Sharavjamts jumped on a looseball and called timeout to preserve Utah’s possession and send the game to the third media timeout up 25-18.
7:38 – After nearly two minutes without a score, Lovering putback a Sharavjamts miss. He then split a pair of free throws on the next possession to give Utah a 28-20 lead. After forcing a UCF turnover, Sharavjamts was fouled going to the rim but missed both free throws.
Then, after consecutive Utah turnovers, UCF’s Jordan Ivy-Curry scored five straight points to make it a 28-25 game. Madsen was fouled on a 3-point attempt and knocked down 2/3 from the line. Little was whistled for his third foul on the other end, which sent the game to the fourth media break.
3:56 – After a minute of action, Dawes found himself free underneath and threw another dunk, giving him 8 points and 10 rebounds to this point of the game. Unfortunately, Ivy-Curry knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, which trimmed Utah’s lead to one. Then Hunter Erickson knocked down a 3-pointer of his own.
Finding the open man, @hunterericksonn for the first triple of the night‼️🎯#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/GP4Sw2fxtP
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 12, 2025
G. Madsen missed a 3-pointer but Sharavjamts had a big putback dunk. Unfortunately, UCF’s Keyshawn Hall knocked down a corner 3-pointer in the final seconds, which sent Utah into the locker room up just 40-39.
Second Half – Utah 40, UCF 39
The Knights came out blazing hot with a 7-2 run, that included an Ivy-Curry 3-pointer to give UCF a 46-42 lead. That also led to a quick timeout from Josh Eilert at the 18:12 mark.
The scoring continued for UCF as they knocked down a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws. Utah went cold from the field, as they were unable to get looks inside. They 0-of-6 and scoreless for three minutes. That allowed UCF to extend their run to 14-2 and build a 53-42 lead at the first media timeout.
15:52 – UCF added a free throw and Hall layup to extend their lead to 56-42. Dawes finally ended Utah’s scoring drought by knocking down 1/2 from the line. Unfortunately, Ivy-Curry remained hot from the floor as he knocked down a jumper with the foul for three points, which extended UCF’s lead to 16.
Eventually, Keller scored a layup through contact, but missed the +1 free throw. Utah got a second possession though after securing a jump ball, that ultimately led to a Dawes drive and dunk. That cut UCF’s lead to 63-47.
11:59 – After the break, Dawes threw down another dunk off of a dish from Wahlin. Then, Wahlin knocked down a pair of free throws, before Dawes converted four straight from the line himself. After a UCF turnover, Little knocked down a 3-pointer. Utah’s run trimmed UCF’s 20-point lead down to 67-58.
Then UCF responded with a run of their own to rebuild a 16-point lead.
6:46 – UCF began with three quick points, then Dawes added a bucket. Finally, after nearly 35 minutes, G. Madsen knocked down a 3-pointer. Then after an empty possession, he knocked down another. Suddenly, UCF’s lead which was 17, was cut to 11.
After a UCF score, Dawes added yet another dunk to his tally, which brought the game to 79-68. Utah forced a jumpball and gianed possession, which sent the game to the final media timeout.
3:34 – After the break, Utah cut it to 79-70 but that would be the closest they got it. UCF secured the win, 87-72.
