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BOULDER, Colo. — The Runnin' Utes lost their third-straight game Saturday afternoon in a 79-75 overtime defeat at Colorado (16-6, 5-4).
Here are the takeaways from the Utah (14-7, 3-6) setback.
Down to a formula
The Utes have stuck to their tried-and-true formula for losing on the road this season, whether it's against No. 1 Arizona, last-place in the Pac-12 Washington State, or a Colorado team that came into Saturday's game 1-4 since losing its star player Spencer Dinwiddie to an ACL tear.
No matter the caliber of its opponent, it all comes down to the final four minutes for Utah in road contests — four minutes in which the Utes consistently fail to execute when it matters most.
The Utes led by as many as 12 early in the second half, but immediately surrendered a 14-2 run to give up control of the game. The game remained close for the rest of the second half, and when that crucial four-minute mark arrived, the score was tied up at 60.
Another close, gut-wrenching loss appeared to be upon the Utes during the final seconds of regulation, but with his team trailing 65-62, sophomore Brandon Taylor knocked down his fifth 3-pointer of the game with four ticks left to grant Utah five extra minutes.
If this season has taught fans anything, any set of a final four minutes — whether in regulation or in OT — have not been kind to Utah. Colorado freshman Xavier Talton sunk his fourth 3-pointer to put CU on top early in OT, and the Buffaloes never surrendered the lead.
The Utes will have to find a way to execute better down the stretch to alter this formula if they hope to claim a road victory this season. They'll have four more opportunities — at the Southern California schools in mid-February, then at the Northern California programs in the first week of March.
Boards & Fouls
For the second-straight game, the Utes got manhandled on the glass. They followed up a 40-29 rebounding deficit at Arizona with an alarming 47-26 deficiency Saturday, getting beat to the ball seemingly at every turn.
Sophomore center Jeremy Olsen hauled in eight boards, finishing as the only Ute to grab more than four. The Buffaloes, on the other hand, had four players bring in six or more rebounds, including two with 10.
The Utes also faced a gaping deficit in the foul and free throw department. They were whistled for 23 fouls to the Buffs' 13, leading to a 30-11 difference in free-throw attempts.
Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak, once known for being a tough, hard-nosed player, will need to get more toughness and aggressive play from his team to avoid being on the wrong side of these key statistics over the final month of the season.
Quiet Loveridge
One of Utah's issues on the road has been a lack of a third scorer aside from junior Delon Wright and sophomore Jordan Loveridge. Saturday, Wright was his usual self, compiling a stat line of 17 points, 11 assists, seven steals and three rebounds — and Taylor stepped up to put in 17. In addition, Utah got key contributions from sophomore Dakarai Tucker (11 points) and freshman Ahmad Fields (nine points).
Loveridge, however, had a game to forget, going 2 of 11 from the field for just four points with five assists.
Now that other players have stepped up on the road, the Utes need a complete game from Wright and Loveridge if they're ever going to bring home any road wins.
Homecoming
Still winless away from home, the Utes return to the Jon M. Huntsman Center to host Washington (13-8, 5-3) Thursday at 7 p.m. Utah will look to get even with the Huskies after a 59-57 loss in Seattle Jan. 8. Tyson Maddy has covered the University of Utah football and men's basketball teams as a contributing writer for KSL.com Sports since 2011. Follow his Utes coverage on twitter @Tyson_Maddy
