SALT LAKE CITY — It's the same story, different sport: play competitive enough to have a shot at the end, but barely fall short of a victory.

Utah had an opportunity again to win the game with a last-second shot against Washington on the road, but hot-handed Delon Wright narrowly missed a game-winning three.

While it's hard to be critical of a team that's been rebuilding and improving since head coach Larry Krystkowiak joined the program, the wins need to come to be taken serious again. Utah can't afford to lose close games, especially when given the opportunity to take the final shot.

The Runnin' Utes have to get more out of the team than the status quo from junior Delon Wright and sophomore Jordan Loveridge. It's not enough that Wright had 27 points and 10 rebounds, there needs to be more contributors.

In Utah's three losses on the season, Utah had the opportunity to take the final shot for the win in two games but couldn't closeout. Against Oregon, Utah had two chances to win the game: at the end of regulation and at the end of overtime. But the result was still the same: a close loss.

And unfortunately for the program, many won't remember that the team almost got the win. Although many didn't expect the Utes to be as good as they have shown this season — they were picked to finish ninth in the conference in preseason rankings — there needs to be some key wins soon.

Related:

Runnin' Utes go ice cold at Washington

There's cold, and then there's Alaskan glacier cold. The Runnin' Utes were so cold Wednesday night, you would think they had found themselves playing in the Arctic highlands of Alaska rather than Alaskan Airlines Arena.

Despite the loss for it's first road match in conference play, there are positives to take away from the loss. Last season, a close loss to Washington would have likely been considered a moral victory. Now, the loss stings because Utah had a shot, and will continue to have a shot in the Pac-12.

Against the Huskies, the Utes had to battle adversity — poor shooting, deficits and an opposing crowd. Although the team wasn't perfect and had to battle back several times throughout the game, it was their fight that was most encouraging. The Utes never gave up and made it a close game.

With just under 2 minutes to play, Washington took a 9-point lead and all the momentum from a surging Utah team. However, the Utes battled back and kept the Huskies from scoring and managed to have a shot at the end.

Additionally, Utah — once again — held their opponent under their average points per game. Coming into the game the Huskies averaged 79 points per game, but were held to just 59 points. And it's not like the Huskies were shooting the ball poorly; they shot 48 percent from the field and 36 percent from behind the arc.

Utah's defensive effort continues to keep the team in the game, making it difficult for the opposing team to score. But the offense has to be consistent and not have polar opposite shooting nights. Utah was 1 of 15 behind the three-point line against Washington, but managed to make 12 threes against Oregon State.

On the bright side, Utah fans care about basketball again and are invested in the games. The Huntsman Center is filled again and fans care to watch road games. Apathy toward the program appears to have been lifted and now wins are expected.

It's a double-edged sword for the Utes.

Related topics