Utah Fades Late as Washington Pulls Away in Seattle
Dec 29, 2025, 11:30 PM | Updated: 11:49 pm
Dec 29, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach (6) shoots the basket against the Utah Utes during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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SEATTLE — Utah went toe-to-toe with Washington for much of the night Monday at Alaska Airlines Arena. The margin was thin, the game was physical, and the path was there.
But when the final possessions arrived, Washington made shots, Utah didn’t — and the Huskies closed the door with a 74–65 win.
Utah opened with Terrence Brown, Don McHenry, Seydou Traore, Keanu Dawes, and James Okonkwo and showed early aggression. Brown scored Utah’s first bucket off a turnover, and the Utes leaned on Dawes’ activity inside to counter Washington’s size.
Utah looked good in the first half — and why it mattered
From the opening minutes, Terrence Brown set the tone defensively. After committing an offensive foul on Utah’s first possession, Brown immediately responded by jumping a passing lane for a steal and converting a pull-up jumper — a sequence that defined Utah’s mindset all night: mistakes followed by forceful answers. Brown attacked downhill early, scoring eight first-half points and repeatedly getting into the paint before Washington’s help defense could fully set.
Keanu Dawes was the stabilizer. Washington’s frontcourt controlled space, but Dawes countered with activity rather than power. He scored on multiple second-chance opportunities, slipping behind defenders for tip-ins and short finishes.
One pivotal stretch came at the 15:47 mark, when Dawes buried a second-chance three after back-to-back offensive rebounds by himself and James Okonkwo — a possession that underscored Utah’s best first-half advantage: effort on the glass. Utah finished the half with 11 second-chance points, compared to Washington’s four.
Utah’s bench also quietly mattered. Kendyl Sanders and Obomate Abbey provided energy minutes that kept Utah afloat during lineup changes. Abbey attacked gaps for a layup, Sanders cleaned the glass, and Utah avoided the offensive droughts that often plague road teams in hostile environments.
The defining sequence came in the final five minutes. With the game tied at 29, Utah forced a turnover, pushed in transition, and Seydou Traore finished a tip-in layup after Brown missed at the rim — giving Utah its largest lead of the night. On the very next trip, Brown hit a pull-up jumper, and Utah suddenly had momentum.
Washington answered late, as it would all night, but Utah went into halftime up 37–36.
The numbers that told the story: Utah shot 47% in the first half, matched Washington in the paint, and won the effort categories — rebounds, second-chance points, and transition opportunities.
Second Half: Utah hung in — but Washington was too much
Utah came out of halftime with the game still very much there, up 37–36, but the second half quickly became a test of execution and composure. Washington struck first, scoring on its opening possession and immediately re-establishing its interior presence. From there, the Huskies controlled the tone, even as Utah continued to scrap.
The defining stretch came early. Washington opened the half shooting 59% and repeatedly punished Utah inside, while the Utes struggled to find clean looks. Utah missed its first four shots of the half and turned the ball over twice in the opening three minutes, allowing Washington to build a small but meaningful cushion.
A Steinbach dunk and a Peterson three pushed the Huskies out in front and forced Utah to play from behind for most of the final 15 minutes.
Still, Utah refused to fold.
Terrence Brown was the catalyst, attacking downhill and keeping Utah within reach. His pull-up jumper at the 3:36 mark cut the deficit to 34–29, and later, his steal and transition sequence helped Utah briefly reclaim momentum. Brown finished with 21 points, four steals, and five assists, consistently creating offense when possessions broke down.
Moments later, Keanu Dawes delivered one of Utah’s most important sequences of the night. After Washington stretched the lead to seven, Dawes scored on a rim run, then followed it with a fast-break dunk off a Brown steal to pull Utah back within five (53–58). It was the closest Utah would get in the second half — and the moment that felt like a potential swing.
Washington answered immediately.
Zoom Diallo and Hannes Steinbach shut the door with efficiency, not flair. Diallo sliced into the paint for a layup, Steinbach followed with a turnaround jumper, and suddenly Utah’s window narrowed again. Washington scored 20 points in the paint in the second half, compared to Utah’s eight, a gap that steadily widened as legs tired and rotations slowed.
Utah had chances late.
Down five with under four minutes to play, the Utes missed back-to-back jumpers and were forced to foul. Washington made 11 of 13 free throws after halftime, turning Utah’s misses into scoreboard separation.
A second-chance basket by Desmond Claude in the final minute effectively ended it.
The Bottom Line
Utah was out-executed. The effort was there, the fight traveled, and the game was there to be won deep into the second half. But on the road, against a bigger Washington team that finished inside, valued possessions, and closed with discipline, Utah’s thin margin finally snapped.
