The Utah men’s basketball team ended its 2025-26 season with a 73-66 defeat against Cincinnati in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Mar. 10.
This game marked the conclusion of Utah’s season, as the team finished with a record of 10-22. The Runnin’ Utes started strong, taking an early lead before Cincinnati responded with a decisive run to close out the first half.
Utah led by as much as nine points early in the game, but Cincinnati rallied and went into halftime ahead by nine after a 15-2 run. In the second half, Utah improved its shooting and narrowed the gap several times, coming within four points late in regulation. However, Cincinnati maintained its advantage and secured the win.
Terrence Brown led Utah with a game-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half, along with six assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Keanu Dawes recorded his eleventh double-double of the season with fifteen points and twelve rebounds. Seydou Traore added twelve points for Utah.
Utah improved its shooting percentage significantly after halftime, hitting nearly fifty-five percent from the field compared to just under twenty percent before halftime. The team also shot ninety-four percent from the free-throw line during the contest.
The loss eliminates Utah from further play in this year’s Big 12 tournament.
