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Takeaways From Utah's 72-59 Win Over Colorado

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Takeaways From Utah's 72-59 Win Over Colorado


SALT LAKE CITY—Though it wasn’t pretty, Craig Smith and Utah basketball ultimately took care of business in a 72-59 win over Colorado.

Utah needed a late scoring outburst to secure the 13-point win, as the Buffs held tough for most of the game.

With the win, the Utes improved to 13-9 overall, 5-6 in Big 12 play. They will travel east to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.

If you stuck it out, Utah’s 17-point outburst was worth the wait… almost

After an inexplicably sloppy game for most of the night, Utah finally went on a run that almost made it all worth it.

It was a 55-52 game after a Trevor Baskin bucket at the 3:58 mark. It seemed like Colorado had the momentum and were trending towards a breakthrough win.

Then, Gabe Madsen got a layup to go to start Utah’s run. The Utes got a defensive stop and then added a Hunter Erickson 3-pointer after Lawson Lovering secured an offensive rebound.

Mike Sharavjamts blocked a layup attempt, and the rebound was collected by Lovering again. He was fouled and after a night of struggles at the line, he actually knocked down both attempts.

Utah then got another stop, and got out in transition, which led to a Ezra Ausar one-handed slam, plus the foul.

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Unfortunately, he missed the free throw, and then Sharavjamts added a couple of free throws but missed a couple as well. Lastly, Jake Wahlin connected on two 3-pointers as the knockout blows in the game.

This was the sort of run Utah needed to take control much earlier in the game. It’s disappointing that it took until the 3:40 mark in the second half to get it going, but they finally went on the run to get the job done.

Were the Utes overlooking the Buffs?

As exciting as the final three minutes were, the other 37 were pretty rough. Utah didn’t look very sharp, but the difference in ability level between Utah and Colorado was obvious, which is saying something.

Given Utah’s upcoming schedule—games on the road against West Virginia and Cincinnati—it would make sense for the team to spend a little extra time preparing for those games.

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Utah turned the ball over frequently, finishing the game with 15. Most of them seemed to be inexplicable unforced turnovers, where a surprisingly bad pass or fumbled catch led to the giveaway.

And to be totally fair to Colorado, the Utes were only a 6.5-point favorite coming into the game. So, suggesting Utah may have overlooked them is an obvious stretch.

The main point is that Utah’s execution was surprisingly sloppy. Coach Smith must clean things up moving forward if they want to have a shot at a road win in the next two contests.

Frankly, tonight’s performance should be worrisome because Colorado clearly lacks the horses to compete in the league. They are winless in Big 12 play, and nearly giving this game away to them is concerning.

The unsung heroes for Utah basketball tonight

Gabe Madsen led the squad with 17 points on a rather efficient 5-of-10 overall, including 4-of-7 from deep and 3-of-4 from the line.

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Though he only finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds, Ezra Ausar led the effort and energy for the Utes on both ends of the floor.

However, the unsung heroes were the difference tonight for the Utes.

Mason Madsen and Zach Keller were the guys that helped Utah settle in on the offensive end. Utah struggled through the first four minutes, then Keller added a layup and M. Madsen added one shortly after. They finished the half with 9 combined points, but M. Madsen was +9 and Keller was +5.

Their positive play continued in the second half, as M. Madsen seemed a bit more aggressive and Keller got a couple more layups to go.

All in all, M. Madsen finished the game with 10 points and 5 rebounds, while Keller ended up with 8 points and 2 boards. More importantly, they just played effective basketball for the Utes on both sides of the floor.

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18-of-35 from the line

That’s what Utah shot from the free-throw line tonight. It was pretty rough to start the game, as they began 1-of-8 from the stripe.

They eventually converted four-consecutive from the line, but the up-and-down roller coaster ride continued throughout the rest of the game.

Utah has worked extensively on its free throws, but the struggles continue. The pressure can be felt in the Huntsman each time a player steps to the line.

Ultimately, it may just be that Utah simply doesn’t have good free throw shooters. It’s hard enough to get a quality win when they convert them, if they continue to shoot like this, they won’t stand a chance in their upcoming games.

UP NEXT – Utah Vs. West Virginia

Utah will take its first two-game road swing starting this weekend when it first heads to Morgantown for a battle with West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 8. Eric Rothman will be on the call alongside Tim Welsh beginning at 3 p.m. (MST) on ESPN+ as the Utes check off the 39th state they’ve ever competed in on when the two square off in WVU Coliseum.

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Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.





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Utah

Nina Dobrev Wears a Bathrobe While in Utah for Sundance Film Festival

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Nina Dobrev Wears a Bathrobe While in Utah for Sundance Film Festival


Nina Dobrev‘s bathrobe photo has fans checking in from Park City, Utah, during Sundance weekend. She posted it 18 hours ago, tagged Park City, and wrote, “Final Sundance in Park City, Utah? bittersweet doesn’t begin to describe it…” Nina’s carousel from the Sundance Film Festival reads like downtime between screenings. The post shows about 480.8K likes and 888 comments.

Nina Dobrev shares a bathrobe photo from Utah during Sundance Film Festival

Have a look at Nina Dobrev in a bathrobe:

Photo Credit: Nina Dobrev Instagram

The “Vampire Diaries” alum wears a plush white hotel robe, loosely cinched at the waist. It falls open at the neckline. Her hair looks half-done, pinned up at the crown, with loose lengths down.

The warm bathroom lighting highlights marble counters and polished wood doors. The photos also landed after she discussed recovering from a dirt bike injury. Fans replied fast, with one writing, “Such a cutie,” another said, “Gorgeous,” and a third added, “THE DIVA”.

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Originally reported by Santanu Das on Reality Tea





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State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.

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State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.


The killings took place in a region exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

(Dawn Villella |AP) A gray wolf is pictured in 2004 in Minnesota. Utah officials recently killed three wolves after they were seen near livestock in Cache County.

In a rural stretch of southwestern Cache County, state officials killed three wolves earlier this month after the animals were spotted near livestock, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources confirmed Tuesday.

The wolves were shot Jan. 9 by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, said DWR spokesperson Faith Jolley, a move allowed because the animals were found in a small corner of northeastern Utah exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

The region, which lies mostly east of Interstate 15 and extends roughly as far south as Ogden, is considered part of the greater Yellowstone region, where the predator is in recovery. It is the only part of Utah where the state is allowed to manage wolves.

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(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Across the rest of the state, the animal is considered an endangered species. It’s illegal to hunt, harass, trap, shoot or harm them without permission from the federal government.

Jolley said state law directs DWR to prevent wolves from breeding in the delisted area. While the animals were not considered a pack, she said they were believed to be traveling together.

“Lethal removals ensure they don’t establish breeding populations in Utah,” Jolley wrote in a text message.

Caroline Hargraves, a spokesperson for the state agriculture department, said the wolves were found near Avon, a small census-designated community in Cache County of about 500 residents, surrounded mostly by farmland.

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Utah leaders have long been hostile to wolves for preying on livestock and thwarting hunters. The state has doled out millions in taxpayer dollars in an effort to get gray wolves removed from the federal endangered species list.

Most confirmed wolf sightings in Utah have involved lone wolves, Jolley said, though small groups have been documented on a few occasions since the first confirmed sighting in 2002.

During the past year, she said, a handful of lone wolves have migrated into Utah from Wyoming and Colorado.

Wolves from Wyoming and Idaho have made their way into Utah at least 21 times since 2004, according to DWR. In September, the agency said it was aware of at least one lone male wolf present in the state.



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Utah family fights to bring children home after mother reportedly arrested in Croatia

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Utah family fights to bring children home after mother reportedly arrested in Croatia


Family members of four Utah children who disappeared with their mother in November are speaking out after the children were located in Croatia.

Now, the family is working through international legal channels to bring the children back home.

The children were last seen on surveillance video at Salt Lake City International Airport boarding a flight with their mother, 35-year-old Elleshia Seymour. Authorities say Seymour took the children without the permission of their fathers after posting what family members describe as “doomsday” claims on social media.

MORE | Missing Children

Seymour was arrested in Dubrovnik on January 15 after the family says news articles alerted people she was talking to in Croatia about the accused kidnapping. She now faces four felony counts of custodial interference. Since her arrest, the four children have been placed in a government-run children’s center in Croatia.

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Jill Seymour, the children’s aunt, has been in Croatia for nine days with her brother Kendall Seymour, who is three of the children’s fathers. They are trying to secure their release.

“We’re just kind of in limbo waiting to get them out,” Seymour said. “These are our kids, and we can’t get custody of them.”

She says the family is only allowed to see the children for two hours a day. Despite providing the requested documentation, the family has not yet been given a clear timeline for when the children can return home.

“They are most definitely trapped there, and they feel trapped,” Seymour said. “We don’t have a clear-cut answer. We’ve provided all the documents we’ve been asked to provide.”

The family has hired Croatian attorneys and is working with the U.S. Embassy to navigate the legal process. Utah-based attorney Skye Lazaro, who has experience with international custody cases, says Croatia’s participation in the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction could ultimately help the family.

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“In this case, it’s a good thing and a benefit that they are part of this Hague Convention,” Lazaro said.

However, Lazaro explained that the process can be slow due to translation requirements and court procedures in the foreign country.

“It requires retaining an attorney in that country who can translate the documents into Croatian and provide all the necessary information to a court,” Lazaro said. “That stuff just takes time.”

If local legal efforts stall, the family can formally petition under the Hague Convention, which may speed up the process, though it could still take several weeks.

“To have to continually say goodbye every day is very hard,” Seymour said. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster.”

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As the legal battle continues, the family is also facing mounting expenses, including short-term housing in Croatia and international legal fees. A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover costs and pay for the children’s flight home.

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