photo by: AP Photo/Bethany Baker

Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) keeps the ball away from Utah guard Mike Sharavjamts (25) and forward Keanu Dawes during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City — A week after it went on the road and led for just two minutes and 26 seconds in a decisive loss to rival Kansas State, the Kansas men’s basketball team did even worse on Saturday: It never led at all.

Even as Utah underwent scoreless stretches of 5:06 in the first half and 7:17 in the second, the Jayhawks were able to tie the game on several occasions but never quite get over the hump. Most crucially, they allowed a 7-0 run after tying the game at 60, and ultimately lost 74-67 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Gabe Madsen scored 24 points for Utah, including a 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining that both made him the program’s all-time leader in three-point field goals and extended the Utes’ lead to seven points. Jake Wahlin posted a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Ezra Ausar scored 12 while menacing the Jayhawks in the post.

KU finished 7-for-19 on layups as a team, and center Hunter Dickinson struggled in particular from the field, going 4-for-12 with 12 points. Zeke Mayo and Dajuan Harris Jr. combined for 29 points as the Jayhawks’ leading scorers, but 22 of those came in the first half.

The Utes got 14 critical points off 16 offensive rebounds.

KU got off to a poor start, as two early turnovers by Rylan Griffen and misses in close by Dickinson aided Utah in opening up a 13-5 lead. Madsen, fresh off attempting 18 3s in the second half of the Runnin’ Utes’ loss to Cincinnati, connected twice from deep early.

Utah gave the Jayhawks some extra possessions with turnovers and fouls, but KU was only able to get as close as 16-12 before Wahlin connected on the Utes’ fifth 3-pointer of the night.

Defensive rebounding turned into a glaring weakness for KU over the course of the first half, and shortly past the midway point the Utes put the Jayhawks in their biggest hole yet with a second-chance 3-pointer by Madsen. He got his fourth of the first half soon afterward.

KU made its first significant strides in eroding its deficit with a quick 7-0 run capped off by a straight-on 3 from Harris, who had 12 early points to help sustain the Jayhawks.

KJ Adams cut the margin to two points with a push shot and Flory Bidunga threw down a tying alley-oop, only for Ausar to break the Utes’ scoring drought of more than five minutes with a putback layup.

Utah entered the break with a 39-37 lead after Rakease Passmore, inserted for the final 28.8 seconds of the half to defend Ausar as Adams and Bidunga each had two fouls, grabbed a rebound and got fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one.

The Utes missed their final seven 3s of the first half after opening 8-for-14.

After spending most of the first half on the bench, Griffen hit a pair of 3s early in the second, but he also fouled Madsen on what turned into a three-point play to put Utah ahead 52-45.

With the Jayhawks struggling to make up ground, KU’s bench incurred a technical foul with 11:37 to go. Madsen made both free throws as Utah matched its largest lead at 11 points.

Again the Utes endured a protracted dry spell, and the Jayhawks struggled to take advantage until David Coit made it 60-57 with a stepback 3. Then Bidunga rattled in a layup through contact, but he couldn’t complete the three-point play.

Mayo got fouled on a drive and had a chance to shoot go-ahead free throws, but he had to hobble off due to an apparent injury to his left leg. Bidunga made one of two to tie the game.

Ausar again provided the solution Utah needed, putting the Utes back ahead with 4:20 to go. Soon afterward, Lawson Lovering missed the front end of a one-and-one, but the Jayhawks allowed the Utes’ 15th and 16th offensive rebounds of the day, Adams fouled out and Wahlin made two free throws of his own.

Dickinson gave KU a glimmer of hope with a 3-pointer that made it 70-65 with 28.9 seconds remaining, but with Lovering (1-for-9) off the floor, the Utes were able to make their free throws.

The Jayhawks, who fell to 17-8 and 8-6 in league play, will remain in the state of Utah and face BYU on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Central Time.

Box score