Punch.
Counterpunch.
Punch.
Counterpunch.
That could have described a showdown bout in Las Vegas, where the University of Utah football team was busy dominating Nebraska 44-22 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday afternoon.
Back in Salt Lake City, though, there was another thrilling match going on at the same time — this one between the Utah women’s basketball team and an undefeated Arizona State squad.
It was a matchup that featured 20 lead changes, including four in the final 33 seconds alone.
Unfortunately for the home team, the Utes came out on the short end of a 69-68 score, though arguably both teams can take away plenty of positives from the game.
Utah coach Gavin Petersen even joked he’s going to enjoy watching the replay of it
“What a way to close out 2025 in the Huntsman Center. Great game and a great opponent in ASU. I’m extremely proud of our team and our fight from start to finish,” Petersen said.
“It wasn’t perfect, but we were focused. We were intentional of what we are doing. We played with an intensity for the largest duration throughout the season. Those are all good things that we want to continue to build off of.”
The back-and-forth matchup went down to the wire. After Utah senior guard Maty Wilke drilled a 3 to make it 64-64 with 1:17 to play, the Utes came up with a defensive stop and had a chance to take the lead.
That happened when Wilke, Utah’s hero on the day, found a wide-open Chyra Evans for a layup to make it 66-64 Utes.
But on the ensuing possession, ASU’s Marley Washenitz quickly nailed a 3, making it 67-66 and swinging the momentum back to the Sun Devils with 27.9 seconds to play.
After a timeout with 9.6 seconds remaining, Utah got the ball into the hands of one of its talented freshmen, and LA Sneed drove to the hoop.
She was fouled with 3.9 seconds to play, then coolly nailed both free throws to give the Utes the 68-67 lead.
The last counterpunch went to Arizona State, though.
On a career night for Sun Devils forward McKinna Brackens, she was the primary option on ASU’s next possession and was fouled underneath by Evans with 1.1 seconds to play.
Brackens made both free throws, though there was a bit of drama as the second hit the back of the rim, then the front before falling through the net.
“We wanted something at the rim, because they had just called a foul on us on the previous play so we wanted to attack and be aggressive,” ASU coach Molly Miller said.
“So Brackens was the one that we drew up the play for. She did a great job of attacking, being aggressive at the rim. Proud of her to step up and hit two.”
Utah didn’t get a great look on its final possession, as Evans missed a long 3-point attempt.
The loss drops the Utes to 10-4 on the season and 1-1 in Big 12 play.
There’s still plenty to like from this outcome for the Utes, even in a loss.
Utah stood toe-to-toe with an Arizona State team that is now 15-0 under Miller, its first-year coach. It’s the best start to a season in program history.
The Utes, who nearly broke that historic run, never trailed by more than five. They outrebounded their opponent 40-30 and led by seven late in the third quarter before an Arizona State surge made it a one-point game going into the fourth quarter.
Utah was also solid from 3-point range, shooting 10 of 25, and made 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.
The Sun Devils were just a bit better, as they made 17 of 20 free throws, outscored Utah 18-11 in points off turnovers and edged the Utes 30-24 in points in the paint.
Wilke was the star for Utah, scoring 17 points — including 8 in the third quarter — while also finishing with five rebounds and four assists, as well as three turnovers.
“I am super proud of my teammates and the way we have found that fight and connectivity. We always want to win but this loss we can learn from it,” Wilke said. “I am very proud of everyone who was on the court or on the bench. It was just connected.
“Even when we made mistakes, we didn’t fall to that level, we kept ‘next play mentality.’ I am super excited what’s to come as well — to learn from that and grow.”
Sneed, who missed two free throws in the final 10 seconds of Utah’s Big 12 opener against Arizona on Dec. 22 — a one-point win wherein the Utes held on — got some redemption with her two makes on Saturday.
She was a perfect 6 of 6 from the line and scored 11 points in all to go with three rebounds and four assists.
“I feel like coming out of (Arizona), I knew I need to adjust some things, especially on the free throws,” Sneed said. “I have been in the gym and that’s what I’ve been working on heavily.
“The opportunity presented itself today, and the work I’ve put in behind the scenes just translated into the game.”
Lani White (12 points, four rebounds) and freshman Avery Hjelmstad (10 points, three 3-pointers) also scored in double-figures, while Reese Ross grabbed 13 rebounds.
Arizona State, meanwhile, found ways to win, even as its top scorer, Gabby Elliott, dealt with foul trouble and finished with just 10 points.
Brackens’ career-high 31 points was the deciding factor for ASU, and she added seven rebounds.
Washenitz also had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.
It was the type of close matchup that should be expected in a competitive Big 12 conference — one that, in ESPN’s latest bracketology, is projected to send nine teams to the NCAA tournament.
Petersen thanked the fans who showed up — even when plenty were down in Las Vegas taking in a dominant Utah football win — and made it a definitive home-court advantage.
“I also want to give a huge shout out to the crowd, the people that came tonight. There is a lot of other things going on that are important to this university and athletic department and they showed out for us,” Petersen said.
“This was a great crowd, so thank you to them for showing up and getting loud for us today.”
