Runnin' Utes Close Out 2025-26 Season with 73-66 Loss to Cincinnati in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Opener

Tuesday, March 10

Kansas City, Mo. / T-Mobile Center

1:00 PM

University of Utah

10-22,2-16Big 12

No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)

18-14,9-9Big 12

Utah

Cincinnati

Photo by: Anna Fuder/Utah Athletics

Runnin' Utes Close Out 2025-26 Season with 73-66 Loss to Cincinnati in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Opener

3/10/2026 4:54 PM | Men's Basketball

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Men’s basketball finishes Alex Jensen’s first season with a 10-22 record

By: Austin Eames

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 16th-seeded Utah men's basketball team closed out its 2025-26 season with a 73-66 loss to the 9th-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday afternoon.

After an uneventful few minutes of the contest, Utah (10-22) fired off three consecutive scores to take a 9-6 advantage over Cincinnati into the first media timeout (14:23).

Coming out of the media break, the Runnin' Utes extended their lead to 11-6 on free throws from junior guard Terrence Brown. Following Brown's trip to the line, Utah would stretch its advantage even further, earning a 15-6 edge on another pair of foul shots from Don McHenry at 11:41.

From that point forward, defense took over, both teams struggled to find a rhythm on offense and scoring slowed down.

The stalemate didn't last forever as Cincinnati (18-14) eventually found its groove and closed the half on a 15-2 run and taking a 29-20 lead over the Runnin' Utes into the break.

Utah's offense saw an uptick in the second stanza, surpassing its first-half scoring total midway through the frame when Seydou Traore connected on a three to get the Utes within 51-42 with 10:33 remaining.

Down 61-52 after another Traore three-pointer, Utah climbed within two possessions of the Bearcats behind clutch buckets from Brown, who hit four consecutive jump shots to make it 66-60 with 3:06 left in regulation.

Minutes later, a Keanu Dawes three-point play would get Utah within 68-64—its closest margin of the half— but the effort wouldn't be enough as Cincinnati managed to hang on and eliminate the Runnin' Utes from the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament with a 73-66 win.

Brown led Utah with a game-high 22 points (15 of which came during the second half), 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Dawes secured his 11^th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Traore rounded out the double-figure scoring group with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 stocks.

BY THE NUMBERS

Utah improved its shooting percentage by over 30-percent from the first half to the second, shooting 54.8-percent (17-of-31) after the break compared to 19.4% (6-of-31) before halftime
With 15 points and 12 rebounds against Cincinnati, Keanu Dawes secured his 11^th double-double of the season—Dawes is now up to 17 career double-doubles
Utah shot an eye-catching 94-percent from the free-throw line in the contest, missing only one foul shot (15-of-16)
Five points marks a new career-high for Lucas Langarita, who suited up for only his fifth collegiate game against Cincy

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