In a hard-fought, physical Big 12 battle, the Runnin’ Utes edged out the Cincinnati Bearcats 69-66 in a bruising contest. Both squads were eager to break out of recent struggles, the Utes found just enough offense to edge out the Bearcats despite their late rally.
Here are the takeaways from the victory:
Utah pounded Cincinnati on the the boards
Utah controlled the glass all night, overwhelming Cincinnati with a 41-23 rebounding advantage that gave the Utes second-chance opportunities and limited the Bearcats’ looks on the other end. Their dominance inside translated to efficient offense, as they outscored Cincinnati 36-22 in the paint. Keanu Dawes led the way with nine boards, while also scoring 12 points and just barely missing a double-double. Jake Wahlin had six rebounds to go along with eight points. Of the 41 boards, it was well-spread throughout the rest of the lineup.
Gabe Madsen found his groove again
After struggling to find his rhythm in recent games, Gabe Madsen bounced back in a big way, leading the Utes with 18 points on 5 of 13 in a confident shooting performance – including 7 of 8 from the free throw line and four assists – Madsen’s free throws down the stretch were key in securing the win.
The game was important for Madsen to break out of his slump, as he attended Cincinnati along with his brother Mason during the 202-21 season. However, Gabe played in two games and then left the team for personal reasons.
As mentioned above, Dawes was the second leading scorer with 12 points. Ezra Ausar added 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting despite dealing with foul trouble.
With the recent emergence of Dawes and Wahlin to go along with the improved play of Ausar, Gabe Madsen breaking out of his long slump is key for Utah’s success.
Big runs kept the Bearcats in the game down the stretch
Leading 44-36 going into the second half, the Utes struggled with turnovers and sloppy play as Cincinnati responded with a 14-0 run. The Bearcats capitalized on Utah’s six turnovers during that stretch, taking a 50-44 lead after Josh Reed banked in a three. The Utes ended the drought after Hunter Erickson hit a three-pointer, followed up with Keanu Dawes putting Utah back in front with a layup off a Wahlin assist, then extended the lead with an and-one play. Utah flipped the momentum with an 18-4 run, reclaiming an eight-point advantage, leading to a tight battle in the final five minutes where free throws down the stretch helped hold off the Bearcats’.
Cincinnati would rally once more with an 8-0 run with 3:12 left in the game tying it 62-62. The Utes defense would then step up, hold off the Bearcats from scoring and hit free throws to extend the lead to win.
Up next
Utah hits the road again against Oklahoma State Saturday, February 1st beginning at 1 PM MST. The Cowboys will face off against Kansas State before taking on Utah at home.
