Gabe Madsen scored 24 points to help Utah defeat No. 17 Kansas 74-67 in Salt Lake City on Saturday night and highlighted the first victory over a ranked team this season.
Otherwise lost their first three matches against teams in the top 25, but they never hit the Jayhawks (17-8, 8-6 Big 12). Kansas has changed profits and losses during the last eight matches in total.
Utah (14-11, 6-8) also received 12 points from Ezra Ausar and 10 points and 12 returns from Jake Wahlin.
Kansas was led by Zeke Mayo, who finished with 15 points. Dajuan Harris Jr. added 14 and Hunter Dickinson chipped in 12 to walk with seven boards.
After seeing a two-digit lead, just two points, 39-37, at half-time, outcore Utah Kansas 21-12 at the beginning of the second half to match its biggest lead of the game. The last two points in that run came on a couple of free throw by Madsen after Kansa’s coach Bill Self was called a technical foul.
Other then went 7:17 without scoring goals, which allowed the Jayhawks to delete the Utah lead. Kansas used an 11-0 driving to bind the game at 60. But on the possession where visitors pulled even, Mayo rolled his left ankle and went to the dressing room with 4:59 left. Flory Bidunga took Mayo’s place at the free throw line and went 1-for-2.
Mayo returned to the game at the final media timeout with 3:31 left.
Ausar ended the Kansas run with a short jump in the lane.
Utah expanded his lead to 64-60 on a couple of free throw by Wahlin. Madsen then made a 3-pointer with 1:58 left to extend the Utah lead to 67-60. With the brand, Madsen set the program record for 3-points career.
Utah started the game quickly and took a lead of 16-8 out of the gutter. It was led by as many as 11 points during the first half of 32-21 with 7:07 left before Kansas started chipping away. The Jayhawks used an 11-0 run to delete the 11-point lead before Utah took its 39-37 edge into the dressing room.
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