Utah’s losing streak hit seven games on Sunday, and this one might sting the most. The Runnin’ Utes were less than two minutes away from snapping their skid, holding a five-point lead on the road at Cincinnati. But in a game that came down to execution in the final moments, it was the Bearcats who made the plays - and Utah who let another one slip away.
Cincinnati closed the game on a 9-0 run, flipping a 65-60 deficit into a 69-65 win and handing Utah its 11th loss in 12 Big 12 games. Let’s break down how it unraveled for the Utes and what we can take away from another close-but-not-enough performance.
Final Two Minutes: A Collapse in Real Time
With 1:56 left, Keanu Dawes hit a tough fadeaway jumper to put Utah up by five. It felt like a momentum-defining moment - the kind of shot that can seal a road win in a tough conference environment. Instead, it was the last point Utah would score.
From there, Cincinnati took over.
Day Day Thomas got the scoring started for the Bearcats after they grabbed an offensive rebound - a possession that kept the door open. Then came a critical moment: Terrence Brown missed the front end of a one-and-one. Cincinnati capitalized, with Baba Miller calmly knocking down two free throws to cut the lead to one.
Utah had a chance to respond, but Don McHenry missed a running jumper. That led to the game’s biggest swing - Miller flying down the court and throwing down a fast break dunk to give Cincinnati the lead with 40 seconds left. From there, the Bearcats iced it at the line while Utah came up empty on a pair of late possessions, including another missed one-and-one and a missed three after an offensive board.
It was a brutal sequence for a Utah team that had done so much right for most of the game - but couldn’t finish.
Utah’s Effort Was There. The Shooting? Not So Much.
Let’s be clear: the Utes didn’t mail this one in. They battled on the glass, outrebounding Cincinnati 40-30, including a 16-8 edge on the offensive boards. That hustle translated into a 16-11 advantage in second-chance points - a stat that usually swings close games in your favor.
They also found some rhythm from deep, knocking down 9 of 27 threes compared to Cincinnati’s 4 of 15. That shooting helped Utah claw back from a nine-point first-half deficit and put them in position to win.
But the overall shooting numbers told a different story. Utah shot just 36.1% from the field - and an even colder 30.3% in the second half. For all the good they did on the boards and behind the arc, they just couldn’t string together enough efficient possessions to build a cushion.
Those final two missed free throws - one by Brown, one by McHenry - were especially costly. In tight Big 12 games, those are the margins.
McHenry led the Utes with 18 points, five boards, and three assists, including three made threes. Dawes was a force inside, finishing with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Brown chipped in 11, and Seydou Traore added 10 points and five boards.
The production was there from Utah’s core. But when the game tightened up, they couldn’t get the shots to fall.
Cincinnati Owned the Paint and the Break
Despite getting beat on the glass, Cincinnati found their edge inside. The Bearcats outscored Utah 32-16 in the paint, leaning heavily on their size and athleticism - especially from Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam.
Miller finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, and Thiam added a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. Their presence gave Utah problems all game, particularly in one-on-one matchups around the rim.
The Bearcats also controlled the fast break, outscoring Utah 12-4 in transition. Miller’s dunk with 40 seconds left wasn’t just a highlight - it was the dagger. It gave Cincinnati the lead and all the momentum, and Utah never recovered.
The Bottom Line
Utah is now 9-16 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play. This loss, perhaps more than the others, will be tough to shake - not because they were outclassed, but because they had it. They were in control, on the road, with under two minutes to go.
But in a conference as unforgiving as the Big 12, the little things matter. Free throws.
Defensive rebounds. Late-game execution.
And in those moments, Cincinnati delivered. Utah didn’t.
There’s no question the Utes are competing. The effort is there. But until they figure out how to close games like this, the results won’t change.