SALT LAKE CITY — It was only one game.

In March, though, one game can be the difference between fighting to live to see another day or the eventual end to another season. Fortunately for Utah, that version of March is still a week away and no immediate harm is done with a solitary loss — at least it doesn’t have the same impact.

With a 4-13 conference record and depleted roster, the Washington Huskies were seemingly a speed bump on the way to closing out Utah’s best regular season in a decade. But the Utes lacked the energy necessary to escape with a win as Washington’s Nigel Williams-Goss spoiled Utah’s regular season ending.

“It’s really hard to explain,” freshman center Jakob Poeltl told ESPN 700 following the game.

Poeltl’s statement echoed a similar sentiment from the fan base, who were disappointed with a “bad loss” and poor way to end the regular season.

I'm optimistic about the future of Utah basketball. Not nearly as optimistic about the near-future (tournament). — TheJazzyUte (@TheJazzyUte) March 7, 2015

The Utah coaching staff, too, was disappointed in the loss, particularly the “toughness aspect” — or lack thereof for the Runnin’ Utes.

“Tonight (Saturday) it was a lot about us. It was about things we normally don’t do — effort was not there,” Utah Director of Player Development Phil Cullen told ESPN 700 following the game. “It’s all about us. We need to fix some things on our end first. It doesn’t really matter who we play, we just need to take care of us right now and get better.”

Utah has a first-round bye in this week’s Pac-12 tournament and will play the winner of the Stanford-Washington game Thursday night. But a re-emphasis on playing aggressive and with “toughness” will be the focus this week for the team. Cullen told ESPN 700 that the players are already prepared for a grueling week of practice before the tournament.

“We’ll have to regroup. Coach addressed it after the game,” Cullen said. “He’s got their full attention after what he just discussed with them.”

For Utah to have success in the tournament, the following three areas need to be addressed:

Limiting turnovers

It’s a simple suggestion, but one that has a tremendous impact on the game: secure the ball and eliminate mistakes. In conference play Utah has done a decent job of eliminating turnovers and errors; however, in three of Utah’s four recent losses, the Utes have had double-digit turnovers — 13 at UCLA, 14 at Oregon and 14 at Washington.

Although turning over the ball isn’t the sole reason for losing games, it’s a difficult aspect of the game to overcome, particularly in close games. Losing momentum and an offensive advantage in a game will generally not end well. That point will only be magnified in the tournament as teams look for any advantage they can to cross the figurative finish line.

Rebounding

If there is one area of the game that Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak preaches about the most, it’s secure rebounds. Against Washington, Utah had a clear advantage in the first half, outrebounding the Huskies by eight. However, the table quickly turned in the second half when Utah had only four rebounds.

With Poeltl, Chris Reyes, Dallin Bachynski, Brekkott Chapman, Kyle Kuzma, and even Delon Wright, Utah has more than enough players who can effectively rebound the ball. Being aggressive and in the right position has been the difference in Utah’s season, and will be in the tournament.

Sound defense

Utah is one of the best defensive teams in the country, keeping teams well under their averages — points, points per possession, field goal percentage — but have slipped recently in their losses. Against Washington, Utah allowed the Huskies to shoot 51 percent from the field and 57 percent from behind the arc, which is drastically higher than Utah’s average.

While it’s difficult to see if there is a downward trend, Utah will likely be more focused on trying to lockdown teams. If Utah can resume its defensive prowess, few teams will be able to succeed against the Utes.

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