Freshman Rylan Jones leads Utes’ late-game rally in improbable comeback victory over Washington

SALT LAKE CITY — With a little over five minutes left in Thursday’s game, things weren’t going well for the Utes’ freshman point guard Rylan Jones. He had missed all eight shots and was 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

“I just missed them — I can’t base my game on how I shoot,” he said.

Things weren’t going well for the Utah basketball team either, as they trailed by 11 points and were shooting around 30% from the field. It seemed certain the Utes’ losing streak would continue.

That’s when the Utes, led by Jones, got busy and made sure they weren’t about to lose five straight games for the first time in seven years.

With Jones leading the way, the Utes outscored the Huskies by 12 points down the stretch to take an improbable 67-66 victory at the Huntsman Center.

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“Just like we drew it up,” joked coach Larry Krystkowiak outside the Utes’ locker room. 

The win boosted the Utes out of the Pac-12 cellar to 2-4 and to 11-7 overall and sent the Huskies, last year’s regular-season champion, into last place at 2-5 with the loss. 

Jones, who similarly led the Utes to a comeback victory over BYU last month, started the rally with a 12-foot bank shot just outside the paint and was fouled for a 3-point play. He followed that with a drive to the basket to cut the lead to six and give the Utes some life and wake up the slumbering Huntsman Center crowd. Then over the last 2:32 of the game, Jones sank 9 of 10 free throws, including a pair of clutch free throws with 14 seconds left, which turned out to be the winning points

“It’s comforting to know he’s out there,” said Krystkowiak. “He’s a tough kid.”

Besides finishing with 13 points, Jones also had nine assists, which Krystkowiak said was quite a feat considering how the Utes struggled offensively most of the night, making just 20 of 59 field goals (33.9%).

Jones shrugged off any accolades for himself in the post-game interview.

“I was just going to take what the game would give me,” he said. “I got fouled a lot and made my free throws. Every kid dreams about it. It was a surreal feeling I can’t describe. But I didn’t really bring our team back. We had some big plays by a lot of people.”

After Jones’ two baskets made it 56-50, Timmy Allen, who had struggled much of the night from the field (4 of 12) and foul line (4 of 9), made consecutive baskets, including a 3-pointer from in front of the Ute bench. 

Then with 2:32 left and the Huskies leading 62-55 came the key sequence of the game when the Utes made six points on one possession.

Jones was fouled going to the basket, but on the play, Utah’s Mikael Jantunen was kicked by Jaden McDaniels under the basket. Krystkowiak asked for a review and after a long discussion, the officials called McDaniels for a technical foul.

So Jones made two free throws, Jantunen made two free throws and on the Utes possession, Jones drew a foul on McDaniels, his fifth of the game, and went to the line for three free throws. He sank two and just like that it was 62-61. 

The Huskies went back up 66-61, but Allen and Jones were each fouled and made their free throws to make it a one-point game with 53 seconds left.

Naziah Carter missed for Washington and then Jones was fouled again just after he brought the ball over the half-court line with 14 seconds left.

Jones, who later said he wasn’t nervous (“I went up there like I always do and say ‘swish’ in my mind”) sank both free throws and then the Utes kept the Huskies from scoring as Riley Battin drew an offensive foul on Jamal Bey with one second left.

Battin led the Utes in scoring with 17 points, while Allen and Jones each finished with 13 and Jantunen had 10 off the bench. The Utes outrebounded the Huskies 38-29 as Allen had nine boards and Jones had seven.

“A couple of the big keys were to only have 10 turnovers and to outrebound them,” said Krystkowiak. “When you’re that bad offensively and the shots aren’t going in (3 for 24 from 3-point range), sometimes you quit.”

Washington was led by McDaniels with 14 points and Isaiah Stewart with 13. Both of those freshman are expected to be first-round picks in the NBA draft this summer. Hamier Wright had 12 and Carter added 10. 

The Utes will get ready for Washington State, which was beaten 78-56 by Colorado Thursday night to fall to 3-4 in Pac-12 play.