Runnin' Utes Fight Hard in Narrow Road Loss to Cincinnati

Sunday, February 15

Cincinnati, OH / Fifth Third Arena

10:00 AM

University of Utah

9-16,1-11Big 12

Cincinnati

14-12,6-7Big 12

Utah

Cincinnati

Photo by: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Runnin' Utes Fight Hard in Narrow Road Loss to Cincinnati

2/15/2026 12:34 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights

Dawes drops 16pts/14reb in Utah’s road loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats

By: Austin Eames

CINCINNATI – The Utah men's basketball team fought hard but fell to the Cincinnati Bearcats, 69-65, on the road Sunday inside Fifth Third Arena.

Down 14-8 five minutes into the contest, Utah (9-16, 1-11 Big 12) earned its first advantage of the game with a 10-0 scoring run that opened with a three-pointer from Kendyl Sanders at 14:07.

Sanders' three was the first in a stretch that saw Utah go 5-of-5 from the field and take an 18-14 edge over Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7 Big 12) with 11:59 to go in the first half.

With their backs against the wall, the Bearcats responded to Utah's scoring frenzy with a 12-0 run of their own, turning a 20-16 deficit into a 28-20 advantage with a layup at the 7:28 mark.

Down eight to their opponent, the Utes played hard down the stretch as fifth-year guard Don McHenry began to heat up. McHenry accounted for Utah's last three buckets of the frame, including back-to-back threes that got his team within one possession, 35-32, with 2:37 left in the period.

McHenry's final basket of the period would be a jumper at 1:56 that got Utah within three, 37-34. The basket was the last of the half for either team, as the Runnin' Utes fifth-year guard led all players with 10 points.

Utah kept its foot on the gas in the early minutes of the second period, cutting a 44-38 Cincinnati advantage to 44-42 with a 4-0 run that ended with Keanu Dawes' free throws at 16:04.

Minutes later, Utah would tie the game with a four-point play from McHenry, who connected with a corner three through contact to make it 52-52 with 11:03 to go.

Down 60-59 with 4:43 left, Utah amassed a five-point advantage (65-60) with a 6-0 run that was capped off by a Dawes jumper at 1:56.

Ahead by five with under two minutes to go, the Utes were unable to hang on to their advantage as the Bearcats fired off a 9-0 scoring run down the stretch, holding Utah without a field goal to secure a 69-65 victory.

Despite the loss, Utah finished the game with four players in double figures. McHenry led the quartet with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Dawes added 16 points and 14 rebounds. Terrence Brown and Seydou Traore rounded out the group with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

BY THE NUMBERS

Utah outpaced the Bearcats from beyond the arc, hitting 9 three-pointers (33-percent) compared to Cincinnati's 4-of-15 split (26.7-percent).
Utah also won the battle of the boards, bringing in 40 rebounds compared to Cincinnati's 30.
- The Utes doubled the Bearcats offensive rebounding mark, 16-8
With 16 points and 14 rebounds, Keanu Dawes secured his eighth double-double of the season.
- Dawes finished the game one rebound shy of his career-high (15)

UP NEXT
Utah wraps up its short road swing with a 6:30 p.m. (MST) tip-off against West Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 18, inside Hope Coliseum – formerly known as WVU Coliseum. Noah Reed will guide fans through the action while NBA vet LaPhonso Ellis serves as the analyst for that game as the Utes make their second trip to Morgantown, W.V., in as many years.

SEASON TICKETS & MINI PLANS
Fans can choose between two mini plans; the Saturday ONLY Plan starts at $125 while the Conference ONLY plan starts at $150. Single-game tickets for conference games are also on-sale starting at just $10 per ticket.

Fans interested in buy season tickets, mini plans or single-game tickets (non-conference) can do so by going online at UtahTickets.com or by phone at 801-581-UTIX (8849).

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 app.

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