Runnin' Utes give up lead, fall to West Virginia 71-69 on senior night

SALT LAKE CITY — Senior night at the Huntsman Center was set to be a celebration for the Runnin' Utes, but the West Virginia Mountaineers had other plans.

In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final possession, Utah fell just short, 71-69, in its final home game of the regular season.

Despite the loss, the seniors left it all on the floor, with Gabe Madsen delivering a standout performance, finishing with 23 points, five rebounds and two assists.

"It's been fun to play all year and have a lot of memories," Madsen said. "This one had a lot of going back and forth in it, a lot of big shots on both sides of the game, for sure."

Utah came out firing early, with senior Hunter Erickson and Madsen knocking down quick 3-pointers to energize the crowd. Madsen hit three deep shots within the first eight minutes, showcasing his ability to come off screens and fire without hesitation.

As such, the Utes built a double-digit lead, but West Virginia's physicality kept the visitors in the game.

The Mountaineers relied heavily on inside scoring, attacking Utah's defense with backdoor cuts and high-percentage shots. Meanwhile, the Utes leaned on their perimeter game, with Madsen leading the charge beyond the arc.

West Virginia's Javon Small proved to be the difference-maker, though, and hit a deep 3-pointer just before halftime to give the Mountaineers a slim 30-29 lead at the break.

"He's carried us all year. He's been terrific; we've asked a lot of him," West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries said. "He's risen in big moments for us, and tonight was no different. … Down the stretch, he really made some huge plays, especially on the offensive side."

Coming out of halftime, Utah looked to regain control as Mike Sharavjamts and Lawson Lovering opened the half with quick baskets, putting Utah back in front; however, West Virginia responded to keep the game within just a few possessions throughout the second half.

Sharavjamts became a key factor for the Utes, hitting two 3-pointers, two free throws, and another basket within the first eight minutes of the second half. With both teams trading buckets, the game stayed within a 2-point margin for the final 10 minutes.

Both teams found themselves in foul trouble late, forcing the game into a battle at the free-throw line. With four minutes left, Lovering hit two clutch free throws to give Utah a 58-56 lead, but he quickly picked up a foul on the other end, allowing West Virginia's Sencire Harris to tie the game.

Small continued his dominant night, hitting a key off-the-screen 3-pointer, followed by a lob dunk from Eduardo Andre to give the Mountaineers a 5-point lead with under three minutes to play.

Utah refused to go down without a fight, though. Madsen answered with a fading 3-pointer, keeping the game within reach. As the clock ticked under a minute, West Virginia attempted to run out the clock, but Utah was forced to foul.

With 12 seconds left and the Utes trailing by 6, Madsen drained another deep 3-pointer, followed by a quick layup from Jake Wahlin to cut the lead to 1 with just a second remaining. But Utah was forced to foul again, sending Harris to the line, where he missed the first but converted the second, putting the Mountaineers up by 2.

With one last chance, Madsen's potential game-winning shot was blocked, sealing the loss for Utah.

"Those seniors, I wanted it so badly for them," Utah interim head coach Josh Eilert said. "Down the stretch, they made a lot more plays than we did, especially from that eight- to four-minute mark.

"Everybody needs to look in the mirror and figure out what we could do a little bit better. … I could have managed the game just a little bit better and maybe we come up with a different adjustment defensively on Javon — get it out of his hands so he's not beating us."

With the loss, Utah now stands at 8-11 in Big 12 play. The Utes will wrap up the regular season on Saturday with an in-state rivalry showdown against BYU before heading to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament.

"Rivalry games, anything happens, so we've gotta be ready to go," Madsen said. "If you're not ready to go in a game like that, something's wrong with you."

The six seniors honored Tuesday night included Gabe and Mason Madsen, Hunter Erickson, Caleb Lohner, Lawson Lovering and Brandon Haddock.

Related topics