In a hard-fought battle, the Utah Runnin” Utes faced a tough defeat against the California Golden Bears, losing 79-72 on Tuesday night at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, California. Despite having opportunities to secure a road victory, inconsistent scoring ultimately undermined the Utes” efforts.
Utah started strong, building an early lead and even narrowing the gap to just one possession multiple times in the second half. However, a challenging offensive stretch towards the end sealed their fate. “Give Mark (Madsen) and Cal credit, they did a good job in the preparation and their adjustments,” said Utah coach Alex Jensen in a postgame interview on ESPN 700 AM. “Just maturity just looking for the growth there with our team. We did a pretty good job of it, though two little things stuck out.”
One pivotal moment occurred when Utah trailed by two points and failed to capitalize on defensive stops, committing fouls during crucial moments. Jensen noted, “It”s just the maturity level of being together, just learning, not getting fatigued, staying mentally locked in.”
The game began with a showcase from Terrence Brown and Dai Dai Ames, both scoring seven points early on. Utah surged ahead with a 12-0 run, taking a 19-12 lead. They extended their advantage to eight points when Brown executed a steal followed by a slam dunk, making it 25-17. However, California countered with a 13-2 run, taking a 33-30 lead, capped off by a three-pointer from Justin Pippen.
As the first half concluded, the Utes found themselves down by eight after California closed out the half on a 7-0 run, ending with a 42-34 lead. The second half saw both teams exchanging leads, but Utah struggled to convert free throws, missing critical opportunities that could have shifted the momentum.
With just over eight minutes remaining, California built a 66-57 lead. However, Utah fought back and reduced the deficit to two points at 72-70 with a jumper from Seydou Traore. From that point, the Utes faced offensive challenges, failing to score in the final minutes as California secured the game at the free-throw line.
California”s free-throw shooting proved decisive, finishing 22 of 24 from the line, while Utah only managed 42.4% shooting from the field and missed key free throws when they could have tied or taken the lead. Despite the loss, Jensen acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “We”re habitual over-dribblers. Part of that is, you know, I can do a better job of helping us move the ball.”
Brown led Utah with 15 points, while Traore and Keanu Dawes added 14 points each. Dawes narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds. The Utes endured ten turnovers during the game, with a critical shot clock violation late in the contest further complicating their comeback efforts.
Looking ahead, the Utes (6-3) will return home to face Cal Baptist (7-1) on Saturday at the Huntsman Center. After a mixed performance during their road trip, the team hopes to regroup and demonstrate improvement in their upcoming games.
