No. 25 Washington Beats Utah 72-61 in Utes' First Loss

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - No. 25 Washington defeated the Utah Utes 72-61 on Saturday at the Huntsman Center, handing the home team its first loss of the season in a matchup that tested Utah's young roster against a veteran Huskies squad.

The Utes jumped out to an early lead, going up 10-2 in the opening minutes behind a 3-pointer from Reese Ross. Utah maintained momentum through much of the first quarter, holding a 20-12 advantage before Washington closed the period on a 4-0 run to make it 20-16. In the second quarter, Utah extended its lead to six points, but the Huskies responded with a 6-0 spurt to tie the score at 31-31, then an 11-2 run to take a 36-33 edge. With four seconds left before halftime, Utah's Lani White rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Washington's Sayvia Sellers, dribbled upcourt and sank a shot from just past midcourt to knot the game at 36-36 at the break.

Washington seized control in the second half, outscoring Utah 36-25 over the final 20 minutes. The Huskies built an eight-point lead midway through the third quarter at 47-39, and though Utah trimmed it to two points late in the period, Washington added the final four points to enter the fourth up 51-43. Utah...