HOUSTON – The Utah men's basketball team met a red-hot Houston team on Wednesday night, falling to the seventh-ranked Cougars 70-36 inside the Fertitta Center.
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Despite playing solid defense early on, the Houston offense showed why they are currently No. 7 in the country – hitting 9-of-11 shots from the floor 7 minutes into the game to force a Utah (11-7, 3-4 Big 12) timeout down 20-5.
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Keanu Dawes put an end to the 18-0 run by Houston (15-3, 7-0 Big 12) after draining a corner three on the near-side with 9:41 left to play in the half. However, the staunch defense by UH continued to cause problems for Utah as it forced 14 first-half turnovers into 19 points and sent the Runnin' Utes into the locker room down 41-17 at the break.
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Houston's stifling defense continued to wreak havoc on Utah, holding the Utes to just 7 field-goals in the second frame while forcing another 12 turnovers for 12 points off turnovers.
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POSTGAME NOTES
- The 36 points is the second-lowest number of points scored by the Utes in a game since 1980
- The last time Utah scored less than 40 points in a game was on March 13, 2014, when it scored 39 vs. Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament
- The 34-point margin of defeat is the fifth-largest the Utes have suffered – tying the 99-65 game at Illinois on Nov. 25, 1983
- Utah was outscored 29-2 in points off turnovers off 26 forced turnovers by the Cougars
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UP NEXT
The Runnin' Utes now return home to regroup and put this game behind them before they open a two-game homestand against #RV/RV Baylor this Saturday, Jan. 22, beginning at 2:30 p.m. (MST). Dave Flemming and former UCLA Bruin Sean Farnham will have the call for fans on ESPN2 from inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
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For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at
www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on
Facebook,
X and
Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the
Apple Store or
Google Play.
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