BYU had the preseason hype, Tribune columnist Gordon Monson writes, but the Utes got the rivalry game victory.
Wasn’t this supposed to be the year, despite some occasional indications to the contrary, that BYU basketball had a new infusion of talent — I mean, future NBA ballers — and Utah was thought to be a little down, a little out? Wasn’t this the season when BYU was thought to have f, additionally headlining the hiring of a boss from the Phoenix Suns who was in the running for NBA head coaching jobs, and Utah had a lead dog whose presence and imperfection had worn Utah fans more than a bit...
A kind analysis of the first half would conclude that strong defense was being thrown all over the floor directly into the faces, the midsections, the arms, the legs and kneecaps of the other guys by both the blue and the red here, leading to a 30-27 margin favoring the Cougars. Yeah, that was this. Which made for an exciting, competitive game, a deal that was far less than attractive, but a proper Big 12 brawl to the finish. BYU might complain that the Cougars only received from the refs 10 foul shots, making by their own fault just four. Utah got 32 free throws.. Coach Kevin Young has called for his players to focus on committing fewer fouls after previous games, and they didn’t listen here.
In overtime … the Cougars went up, Ausar attempted to keep the Utes afloat, making shots, making and missing free throws. Missed foul shots really were a difficult thing for Utah. It hit only 53 percent of them. Egor Demin’s basket gave BYU a three-point lead, but Hunter Erickson, a former Cougar, hit a bomb, tying it at 70.
A conclusion at game’s end is that the home team was the superior squad on this night. Whether the Utes are actually the better of the two teams is yet to be determined. What is certain two-thirds of the way through January is that neither one of these outfits is particularly good. Much improvement is needed, all around. Anybody unwilling to admit that is selling rubber crutches.
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