Utah basketball's recent 61-56 road victory over West Virginia showcased the emerging culture under first-year coach Alex Jensen. The Runnin’ Utes jumped out to an 18-3 lead and extended it to 15 points early in the second half. Despite a fierce Mountaineers rally, Utah secured its first road win in over a year, holding West Virginia to just 42.3% shooting and dominating the boards with a 38-28 rebounding advantage.
Seydou Traore was instrumental on defense, particularly against West Virginia’s Honor Huff. Jensen emphasized the importance of defense and rebounding, noting, "That was the difference at the end of the game.
We struggled offensively, but we made the plays - Seydou had a block, (we) got the rebounds. That’s what will always give you a chance."
This win provides momentum as Utah heads into the final stretch of the regular season, starting with a home game against UCF. The Utes will play three of their last five games at home, a crucial opportunity to build on their recent success.
The victory capped a challenging road trip, where Utah nearly secured a win against Cincinnati. Jensen highlighted the team bonding that occurred during the trip, saying, "We got to learn a lot about each other, just on and off the court. Just staying together and sticking to the things that we’ve been preaching since the summertime really led us to getting that win against West Virginia."
Utah's recent schedule has been a defensive gauntlet, facing top teams like Houston, Cincinnati, and West Virginia. Next up is Iowa State, another defensive powerhouse.
Jensen relishes these challenges, stating, "I love it to be able to after the game say, ‘See, I was right.’ On the defensive end, that’s the things that I think you have the most control over."
Facing elite defenses has its benefits, as Traore noted, "What helps us playing against the best defenses is watching film on them - knowing where you should attack from, knowing where they help at."
Next, Utah faces UCF, one of the Big 12’s top offenses. The Knights average 81.5 points per game, with four players scoring in double figures, including senior guard Riley Kugel and fifth-year guard Themus Fulks.
Jensen acknowledged the challenge, saying, "They’re older, they’re mature. They’ve had some big wins, most likely headed for the tournament.
But again, it’s about us, more of the same."
Saturday’s game against UCF is another chance for Utah to grow both as a team and a program. Traore emphasized the importance of focusing on the fundamentals, "I preach to the team every time before the game, it’s the little things that’s going to get us over the hump - rebounding, boxing out, diving on the floor."
With each game, Utah aims to continue its development and finish the season strong, taking it one game at a time.