The first conference game between BYU and Utah since 2011 had everything you could ask for: eight lead changes, nine ties, heated words, extra shoves, an exhilarating overtime finish.
But in the end it was Utah who came out victorious, beating BYU 73-72 in an all-time classic finish at the Huntsman Center.
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 19, 2025
Ezra Asaur. The BYU Cougars had no answer for Ezra Asaur.
The junior transfer from East Carolina only averages 10.2 points per game for the Utes, but on Saturday, Asaur dropped 26 points, putting on a clinic in the paint.
"He's been hot and cold," BYU coach Kevin Young said after after being asked what his game plan was to guard Asaur before Saturday's matchup. "He's had good games, he's had bad games. He hasn't played a lot and has been all over the place ... he just got going."
BYU led by as much as eight early on in the second half, but the Utes quickly found that they could dominate in the paint.
Of Utah's 37 second half points, 24 of them were down low, and Asaur was a big reason why.
After a Mawot Mag corner 3-pointer put BYU up by one with less than a minute to play in regulation, it was Asaur who blew by Keba Keita to catch the backdoor pass and hammer it home.
But BYU wasn't done yet.
Down by two points on their final possession, BYU's leading scorer Richie Saunders drove to the hoop and got a good look that couldn't fall, but senior big man Fousseyni Traore was there for the offensive rebound and put it in to tie the game.
Both Traore and Saunders led BYU with 16 points.
FOUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 19, 2025
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Overtime was just as eventful as the first 40 minutes, and missed free throws played a big role for both teams.
BYU was playing the foul game with Utah's big men, Asaur and Lawson Lovering, and it worked. Utah shot 4 of 12 from the line in overtime.
But it was former Cougar Hunter Erickson who went 3 for 4 down the stretch, including the go-ahead free throws with 13 seconds left in the game, who was the difference-maker for the Utes.
"I know I'm a good free throw shooter," Erickson said. He knew he would knock down those game-winning free throws.
On BYU's last possession, the refs called a pivotal foul on Utah's Jake Wahlin when he drove through a BYU screen, sending sharp-shooter Trevin Knell to the line for an important one-and-one free throw attempt.
And as is the story of BYU's season thus far, Knell missed the free throw. And Utah won the game.
"This game is so fragile," Young said. "If Trev steps up and bangs two free throws, [Utah head coach, Craig Smith] is pissed and I'm not. That's life."

With this loss, the Cougars fall to 11-6 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. They are losers of four of the last five.
BYU goes on the road to face Colorado on Tuesday.