The Utah Runnin’ Utes edged out a thrilling overtime victory against in-state rival BYU, 73-72, on Saturday night, led by Ezra Ausar’s career-high 26 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting. Hunter Erickson played a crucial role in the final moments, scoring Utah’s last six points to seal the win.
Erickson, a reliable free-throw shooter hitting 92% this season, finished with nine points, while Lawson Lovering added 13 for the Utes (11-6, 3-3 Big 12). In a nail-biting finish, Erickson drained a critical three-pointer and followed up with clutch free throws to put Utah ahead with just 13.2 seconds remaining. Ausar also came up big on defense, stealing the ball from BYU’s Richie Saunders to set up Erickson’s decisive free throws.
BYU’s Dawson Baker missed a potential game-winning jumper, and Trevin Knell failed to convert a critical 1-and-1 free-throw opportunity with 6.2 seconds left. Utah’s Keanu Dawes missed two free throws in the closing moments, giving BYU one last chance, but Egor Demin’s contested jumper at the buzzer fell short…