Runnin' Utes Pull Away Late to Defeat Buffaloes 72-59

Wednesday, February 5

Salt Lake City, UT

7:00 PM

University of Utah

13-9,5-6Big 12

Colorado

9-13,0-11Big 12

Team	1	2	F
Colorado	20	39	59
Utah	32	40	72

Runnin' Utes Pull Away Late to Defeat Buffaloes 72-59

2/5/2025 11:05 PM | Men's Basketball

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Utah men’s basketball closed the final 3:58 minutes of the game on 17-7 run to defeat Colorado 72-59.

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men's basketball team battled Colorado down to the very end, but a pulled away late to defeat the Buffaloes 72-59 inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Wednesday night.

Both teams struggled out of the gates, combining for just 2-of-12 from the floor and headed into the 10:22 media break with Utah (13-9, 5-6 Big 12) narrowly leading Colorado 10-8. However, the Runnin' Utes would find their pace and go on a 15-4 run to lead 25-14 with 3:56 left to play.

Not to be counted out, the Buffaloes (9-13, 0-11 Big 12) managed to string three-straight baskets to cut the Utes' lead down to 27-20 before Utah closed out the half on a 5-0 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Gabe Madsen to give the Runnin' Utes a 32-20 lead at half.

Utah had a tough time finding its rhythm on offense to start the second-half, but was able to hang on to its double-digit lead, 45-35, before the Buffs mounted an 11-3 run to get within 48-46 of the Utes at the 7:36 media break.

The scoring would go back-and-forth until the 4:15 mark when Madsen drained third 3-pointer of the evening to jump-start Utah's offense. From that point on, the Runnin' Utes reeled off a 17-7 run to close out the remaining 3:58 minutes of game left to secure the 72-59 victory and hold CU win-less in conference play.

Madsen led the game with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc while Lawson Lovering chipped in with 12 points on 6 boards with 3 assists and 2 steals. Ezra Ausar and Mason Madsen both had 10 points apiece to help Utah.

POSTGAME NOTES

With the win, Utah snaps a two-game losing streak against the Buffs stemming from its days in the Pac-12
Utah has now won three-straight games against Colorado in Salt Lake City
Utah moves to 19-10 against Colorado when playing in Salt Lake City and 15-4 when playing inside the Huntsman Center
Utah's defense was able to hold CU to just 20 points in the first half – which was the lowest since scoring just 19 against Southern Illinois on Nov. 19, 2021
The 11 steals are the second-highest total this season and ties the 11 swipes vs. Florida A&M this year
Utah's struggle at the line continued, finishing the night just 18-of-35
Gabe Madsen has slowly turned the corner, reaching double-figures for the third-straight game

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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