‘Winning is always a confidence builder’: Utah starts and finishes strong to beat TCU for its first Big 12 victory

The same TCU team that gave No. 11 BYU everything it could handle three days earlier found itself down 14-0 six minutes into its matchup against Utah in a Saturday afternoon tilt at the Huntsman Center.

The Runnin’ Utes, who were still seeking their first Big 12 win, landed the first punch, marching out to the huge lead as the Horned Frogs started the game shooting 0 of 9 from the floor.

“Our fans play a big part in that. I know we haven’t had the best (crowds), but I feel like the ones that come, they definitely show a lot, and it really helps us when we when we make shots. We go on runs and get momentum,” Utah guard Terrence Brown said.

“I feel like we get a lot of momentum from the fans, so just shout out to all the fans that come out here and watch us in the MUSS.”

While that solid start played a role in Utah’s 82-79 victory over the Horned Frogs, it was also the Utes’ ability to finish strong that allowed them to earn their first conference victory.

Utah never trailed against TCU, though the Horned Frogs fought back from that early double-digit deficit and made it a tie game three different times in the second half — the last with 8:17 to play.

Ultimately, though, the Utes (9-9, 1-4 Big 12) were able to give an announced crowd of 6,544 a home victory by fending off TCU (11-7, 1-4 Big 12).

“I think one of the biggest places we’ve grown is not letting them come back,” Utah junior Keanu Dawes said. “I know they didn’t end up coming back, but I think earlier in the year, we might have lost that game. We did a good job of staying together, especially towards the end.”

Remarkably, TCU made 13 straight field goals over the final 10:09, but a Micah Robinson 3-point attempt with two seconds left snapped that streak when it hit the front of the rim and glanced off.

That shot could have sent the game to overtime, but instead, the miss allowed the Utes to celebrate their first Big 12 win under coach Alex Jensen while snapping a five-game losing streak.

“I’m not gonna lie. I don’t talk about it, whether it’s a winning streak or a losing streak. We’re all very aware of it, even though we don’t talk about it. That’s been the thing I’ve told our guys, ‘You are good enough,’” Jensen said.

“... You guys got to believe as well, but you’ve got to do it together. Winning is always a confidence builder.”

Even with TCU’s hot shooting, Utah made 8 of 14 shots over the game’s final 10 minutes, and hit 11 of 16 free throws in that stretch to stay ahead.

The Utes shot 50.8% from the field for the game, and 60.9% in the second half. That just edged out TCU going 50% overall and 59.4% in the final 20 minutes.

Utah also made nine 3-pointers to just four for TCU, which more than made up for the Horned Frogs being a bit better at the free throw line (they were 15 of 22 while Utah was 13 of 22).

TCU coach Jamie Dixon bemoaned his team’s defense down the stretch, and its inability to get stops.

“We thought we were a good defensive team, but tonight, we were not that,” Dixon said. “The last 10 possessions where we couldn’t get a rebound, we fouled when we can’t be fouling ... we did some strange things we just can’t do. So congratulations, Utah.”

There were plenty of winning efforts among the eight players who logged minutes for the Utes against TCU.

There was Dawes, who scored seven of his 10 points in that opening 14-0 stretch and also had three assists and a game-high 14 rebounds (including five on offense) in posting his first double-double since late November.

Dawes helped Utah outrebound the Horned Frogs, 40-31, and win the second-chance points battle 12-7, thanks to a 14-10 edge on the offensive glass.

Brown led the Utes offensively yet again, finishing with 26 points on a solid 9 of 15 shooting, and that included going 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Brown scored 18 of those points after halftime, with six in the game’s final four minutes.

Don McHenry added 12 points, two assists and two steals, and he scored six points in the final three minutes.

As much as those three make contributions on the offensive end, Jensen pointed to their defensive efforts — particularly from guards Brown and McHenry — as a key to the victory.

“I think we all did a good job of defending first and let the game come to us,” Jensen said.

Utah’s other five players had their moments, too.

Seydou Traore scored in double-figures with 11 points — giving Utah four players in double-figures for the first time since Dec. 6 — and added four rebounds and two assists.

Obomate Abbey showed continued improvement with five points and four assists, while another freshman, Kendyl Sanders, scored nine points with a pair of 3-pointers and had three rebounds and two assists.

Fifth-year senior James Okonkwo, whom Jensen continues to credit for the energy he brings to the court, added four points and six rebounds before fouling out, while Josh Hayes added five points and some important minutes battling in the paint.

“I think they’re getting more comfortable playing together and using each other to (achieve) whatever it is, to get a shot or to create an advantage,” Jensen said.

That all added up to enough for Utah to edge the Horned Frogs, who were led by David Punch (22 points, six rebounds, two steals, one block) and Robinson (14 points, five assists, four rebounds).

It’s a positive burst of momentum for a Utes squad that will play its next two games on the road, facing Kansas State next Tuesday before traveling to Provo on Saturday for its second game against rival BYU in a two-week span.

“It’s very important, absolutely,” Dawes said, of getting the first conference win. “We haven’t had the start that we wanted, but it’s kind of like shooting the ball if you see one go in.

“Most of our games have been close, games that we could have won, but just being able to ... put 40 minutes of good basketball together would be huge for our confidence.”