The season officially came to an end for the Utah men’s basketball team Monday afternoon, as the Runnin’ Utes fell 86-84 to Butler during a first-round College Basketball Crown game at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Monday in Las Vegas.
3 takeaways
The Bulldogs won the final minute. Butler and Utah went into the final minute tied at 84-84, and the Bulldogs were the ones to get the winning points.
After both teams had empty possessions, Butler took a timeout with 12.8 seconds to play.
On the ensuing Bulldogs possession, Pierre Brooks II drove the lane and hit a layup with 3.2 seconds to play to give Butler the lead.
Following a timeout, Ezra Ausar took a pass near midcourt and got a 3-point shot off, but it was off the mark.
A technical changed the complexion of the game. The Utes (16-17) went into halftime up 46-42 and pushed that lead out to 60-49 with just under 15 minutes to play, but a technical called on Gabe Madsen — when he felt he was fouled on a drive — started a 24-7 Butler run over an eight-minute span that put the Bulldogs in charge.
After the Bulldogs went up 73-67, Utah fought its way back into the game, but Butler maintained the lead for most of the way down the stretch before Brooks’ game-winner.
Brooks had 17 points in the second half — and a team-high 22 overall — to go with nine rebounds and three assists to pace the Bulldogs (15-19), while Finley Bizjack added 16 points, three assists and two steals as four Butler players scored in double-figures.
Butler outshot Utah 40.5% to 36.7% in the second half and made 13 3-pointers to the Utes’ 10 on the afternoon.
There were some nice performances for the Utes. For a Utah team that was dealing with a coaching change and a lot of players already in the transfer portal, there were some solid outings.
Madsen, in his final game as a Ute, scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers, including two late ones that came at critical moments. His last one sent the game into the final minute tied.
Keanu Dawes had another double-double, with 19 points and 11 rebounds, just days after entering the portal, and Ezra Ausar (15) and Jake Wahlin (10) also scored in double figures.
What’s next
Butler moves on and will face the winner of Boise State-George Washington in the second round. The game will take place Wednesday at 5 p.m. MST and will be televised on FS1.
For the Utes, the offseason begins as the focus now goes fully on the Alex Jensen era and assembling the 2025-26 roster.
