Craig Smith and Utah look for answers after historically bad night in Houston

Utah’s men’s basketball team experienced a brutal reality check in the 70-36 loss to No. 7 Houston at the Fertitta Center, snapping the Utes’ three-game winning streak. The defeat was a sobering reminder of the challenges posed by elite competition, as the Cougars extended their nation-leading home win streak to 33 games.

The game was decided early, as Houston’s relentless defense and explosive energy fueled an 18-0 run to take a commanding 26-5 lead. Utah’s struggles were epitomized by its season-high 26 turnovers, which Houston converted into 29 points. By halftime, the Utes faced a 24-point deficit that only grew, marking their second-lowest scoring game since 1980.

Coach Craig Smith did not mince words postgame, addressing his team’s poor execution and lack of effort against the Cougars’ pressure. “This is big boy basketball, and we didn’t get to that point tonight,” Smith said. Houston’s aggressive defense was overwhelming, as the Cougars tallied 19 steals and 11 blocks, stifling any rhythm Utah attempted to establish.

Offensively, the Utes were out of sync, shooting just 30.2% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range. Their inefficiency was highlighted by missing 12 of their first 13 shots in the second half. Gabe Madsen led the team with only eight points on 3-of-10 shooting, and no Utah player reached double figures. Ezra Ausar, who had scored 26 points in Utah’s overtime win against BYU, was held to a single point.

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Houston’s shorter but quicker roster dictated the pace, outscoring Utah 28-14 in the paint and dominating in hustle plays. While Utah managed to match Houston in offensive rebounds and narrowly won the overall rebound battle (36-33), the Cougars’ physicality and effort consistently trumped Utah’s.

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Smith acknowledged the difficulty of transitioning to the competitive Big 12, emphasizing the importance of learning from the loss. “You have to eliminate losing to win,” he said. Utah now faces a critical test hosting No. 25 Baylor, needing a stronger performance to regain momentum and keep postseason hopes alive.