FORT COLLINS, Colo. — It's been a long time since the Utah basketball team was as bad as 5-11 at this point of the season, 34 years to be exact.
It's been even longer — 54 years — since the Utes started a conference season 0-3, which is their record after a dispiriting 73-57 loss to Colorado State Tuesday night at Moby Arena.
This time there was no chance for the Utes to win in the final minute as had been the case in their last three games and four others this season.
The Utes were out of this one after a 13-0 run by the Rams late in the first half and showed little gumption the rest of the way. The loss left Ute coach Ray Giacoletti practically speechless afterward.
"What do you want me to say, guys?" a glum Giacoletti said after emerging from the locker room. "At some point, enough's enough. I'm tired of losing. I'm tired of doing things a certain way. ... I don't care who's coaching the team or what the circumstances are, you stand up and go get something done."
Giacoletti said he couldn't think of one player that had a good game Tuesday night.
Johnnie Bryant actually had decent numbers, with 16 points, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, three steals, two assists and no turnovers in 32 minutes. And freshman guard Luka Drca exceeded his season total of field goals with three — all 3-pointers — and finished with 11 points.
But starters Luke Nevill, Shaun Green, Stephen Weigh and Lawrence Borha all had off nights.
Green had 11 points, but fouled out and had four turnovers with no assists, while Nevill had just 10 points and five rebounds, going against Colorado State's two 7-footers, Jason Smith and Stuart Creason. Borha had three turnovers in 13 minutes and Weigh had more turnovers than points in his 14 minutes.
"We had 12 turnovers the first half — we have to handle the basketball. We got outrebounded by 15. You've got to put a body on people and box out," Giacoletti said.
After trailing by 10 at the half, the Utes couldn't score a field goal until the 12:54 mark of the second half when Bryant sank a 3-pointer. But by that point it was 52-30 and even though another Bryant three and two treys by Drca brought the Utes within 12, it was too little, too late.
Colorado State had a balanced attack with three players, Jason Smith, Tyler Smith and Tim Denson scoring 13 points, Cory Lewis 12 and Creason nine. They finished with 35 rebounds to Utah's 20 after the Utes had outrebounded their first two MWC opponents by an average of 15.
"I was pleased with the intensity, the effort," said CSU coach Dale Layer. "It's another step in the right direction."
When asked how the players reacted to the loss, Giacoletti said they "had blank looks on their faces."
The Ute players say they're still hopeful about the season and say they just need a win to get over the hump.
"Once we get our first win, it will be easier to get wins after that," said Nevill.
"We are really talented. We need one win and we'll be really good after that," said Drca.
The Utes' next chance will be Saturday night at New Mexico against another 0-3 MWC team. Then its back home for a home game against No. 15 Air Force Tuesday night.
GAME NOTES: This was the largest CSU victory over Utah since 1992 when the Rams won 67-48 in Salt Lake ... All 12 Utah players who traveled played at least six minutes ... Colorado State shot 52.4 percent from the field, but only 35.3 from 3-point range. Utah shot just 41.3 percent for the game ... The Rams defeated the Utes twice last year, winning 84-78 here and 69-61 in overtime in Salt Lake ... CSU plays in Salt Lake on Feb. 7.
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