The Hive Sports

by Daniel Olsen

The Cougars entered last Saturday evening as the 14th ranked team in the AP Top 25 in their first true road game. They left with a 73-69 loss in the big rivalry game with Utah. It’s time to break down the key factors in this game.

The return of Branden Carlson

Branden Carlson, the star 7-footer for the Utes, was a matchup problem for the Cougars. He returned from injury to score 15 points and also pulled down eight rebounds. Gabe Madsen also pitched in 17 points. They did the heavy scoring among the starters while the bench punched in a respectable 20 points. BYU had 34 bench points so it evened out to be a close game.

Holding off the BYU comeback

The Cougars struggled mightily in the first half, going down 45-31. They came back and had a chance to tie or take the lead, but turned the ball over and former Aggie Rollie Worster iced the game with two made free throws. BYU shot just 23 percent from three and 56 percent from the free throw line. That makes it tough to win on any night.

What this win means for Utah

This win propelled the Utes to a Top 40 team in the NET rankings. They are receiving votes in the AP Top 25. They still have to figure out some strategies to win games more consistently in the PAC-12 than they have been doing. They will need some momentum as they head into a gauntlet Big 12 in 2024.

Photo gallery

For more photos of this historic night, head over to our Patreon to access the full gallery.

Featured Image and Patreon Photo Gallery courtesy Joe Oliver