Kansas Pulls Away Late as Utah Shows Fight but Falls Short at Allen Fieldhouse
The final score may have followed the script, but the story between the lines had a few unexpected twists.
Utah fell 71-59 to No. 11 Kansas on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse, a result that extends the Utes’ losing streak to five and drops them to 9-14 overall, 1-9 in Big 12 play. But for a team still finding its footing under first-year head coach Alex Jensen, there were moments - especially early - that showed this group hasn’t lost its fight.
The Utes came out swinging, even taking a 12-8 lead behind a hot start from freshman forward Keanu Dawes. Dawes turned in what was arguably his best performance of the season, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds on an ultra-efficient 10-of-13 shooting. He knocked down a pair of threes and gave Utah a physical presence inside that Kansas had to account for all afternoon.
But in the Big 12, talent and toughness only take you so far - especially against a team like Kansas, on their home floor, in a building that feels more like a cathedral than a gym.
The Jayhawks turned up the heat in the second half, using an 18-4 run - including a 10-0 burst over four minutes - to put the game out of reach. That stretch was the turning point, and Utah simply couldn’t recover.
“It’s the little things in these games,” said assistant coach Martin Schiller. “In games like these, it’s going to be the margins, and those are the important ones to not let slip away.”
For Utah, the effort was there. The execution - particularly in the second half - just wasn’t enough.
After a Terrence Brown layup cut the deficit to 42-40, Kansas responded with that decisive 18-4 run. Even when Utah clawed back within six, the Jayhawks slammed the door shut with 10 straight points to build their first double-digit lead.
From there, it was game over. Utah never got back within single digits.
Kansas big man Flory Bidunga was a force on both ends, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks, and three assists - a stat line that speaks to just how much he controlled the paint. Tre White added 16 points and six boards, while Darryn Peterson chipped in 14 points and a pair of steals.
Still, Utah had some bright spots worth highlighting.
Brown rebounded from a tough outing earlier in the week to score 16 points, even if it took him 17 shots to get there. He also tied his season-high with four steals and added three assists, giving the Utes some much-needed perimeter activity. James Okonkwo battled inside and tied his career high with four blocks, while Seydou Traore and Kendyl Sanders provided some defensive versatility in a bigger lineup necessitated by the absence of Obomate Abbey.
That bigger lineup may have helped spark a better defensive effort overall. Kansas shot 50% from the field, but the Utes disrupted rhythm, forced bad shots, and limited the Jayhawks to just 3-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc - a 16.7% clip. That kind of perimeter defense has been rare for Utah this season, and it showed growth, even in a loss.
Schiller pointed to a mix of factors behind the improved defensive focus - the size adjustments, the energy of playing in a legendary building, and the adrenaline that naturally comes with facing a top-15 opponent on the road.
“Sometimes it’s one or two little things that change the big picture,” he said. “Seydou comes in at the two, which puts Kendyl at the three - now suddenly you’re matching up size-wise.
Then the other piece may be the energy, for sure, because adrenaline plays a big role. If you play in this building, it’s enjoyable.”
But effort only goes so far when the offense stalls. Utah shot just 40% from the field and struggled to generate clean looks in the second half. The Utes’ ball movement stagnated during Kansas’ big run, and without consistent perimeter shooting or a true go-to scorer in crunch time, the offense couldn’t keep pace.
With eight regular-season games left and one guaranteed appearance in the Big 12 tournament, Utah is running out of chances to build momentum. The Utes return home to face No. 8 Houston next Tuesday - another top-10 test - before hitting the road for matchups at Cincinnati and West Virginia.
It’s been a rough stretch for a team trying to establish a new identity in a brutal conference. But the coaching staff is focused on keeping the group competitive, even as the losses mount. Jensen has been vocal in recent weeks, calling out selfish play and questioning effort after disappointing performances against BYU and Oklahoma State.
On Saturday, though, the fight was there.
“As a competitor, you’re always disappointed in losing - and also the situation that we’re in,” Schiller said. “You don’t want to get used to losing.
That is important, and one has to fight that. Having said that, I thought we competed very well.”
For Utah, that’s the starting point. Now they’ll need to turn that fight into something more tangible - and soon.