Washington

Runnin’ Utes expecting an ‘ugly tug of war’ in second matchup with Washington State

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2024

Runnin’ Utes expecting an ‘ugly tug of war’ in second matchup with Washington State

Craig Smith likened playing Washington State to getting a root canal.

“It’s like you’re going to the dentist. They’re prying in there, they’re digging in there,” the Utah men’s basketball coach told reporters Monday.

“Every time when we play, it feels the same. It’s just this ugly tug of war type of basketball.”

That’s the type of environment the Runnin’ Utes will be heading into when they face the Cougars on Wednesday night (8 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Network) in Pullman, Washington, as part of a two-game road swing that includes playing at Washington on Saturday.

“Every time when we play, it feels the same. It’s just this ugly tug of war type of basketball.” — Utah coach Craig Smith, on facing Washington State

First up is a Washington State team that Utah is familiar with: During their opening week of conference play, the Utes fended off challenges from both the Cougars and Huskies to start Pac-12 action 2-0, beating Washington State by 22 and Washington by five.

That 22-point margin, though, doesn’t tell the whole story — when Utah and Washington State met at the Huntsman Center in late December, the Utes fell behind by six early in the second half before Smith challenged his players, and they responded.

A 16-2 run that included four 3-pointers from Gabe Madsen gave Utah control of the game, as the Utes shot 60% in the second half against a traditionally stingy defense.

Now, in Round 2, there will be familiarity for both teams.

“The good news for our guys, I think things go a little bit quicker the second time around. We have a real genuine feel for their personnel, their scheme,” Smith said.

“What we try to do — our guys know the strength of, what these guys play like and how strong they are. Because I think the first time you play somebody, there’s always that five- to eight-minute stretch where it’s like a boxing match, where you’re trying to kind of feel each other out. Well, we’ve already been down that road already, so there’s just so much more familiarity playing them the second time.”

The Cougars have been a bit of an enigma thus far in conference play. They sit at 4-4 in Pac-12 action, 13-6 overall and won four of five at one point, including a 73-70 win over top 10 Arizona on Jan. 13.

In its most recent game, though, Washington State lost in overtime to Cal, which was projected to finish last in the Pac-12 but so far has outdone that prediction under first-year coach Mark Madsen.

The Cougars lead the Pac-12 in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 40.1% from the field, and are giving up 67.2 points per game.

In their first matchup, Utah showcased its own stout defense, holding Washington State to 31.3% shooting and its top two scorers, Myles Rice and Isaac Jones, to a combined 19 points on 7 of 30 shooting between the pair.

This will mark the halfway point of conference play after Utah makes its Washington trip, and there is the chance that the Utes could find themselves in first place in the league standings at that point.

After sweeping Oregon State and Oregon last week, Utah is just a half-game behind conference leaders Arizona, Oregon and Arizona State.

“Obviously now you get to this point, and of course every game matters, but I feel like it matters even that much more, when you look at the standings how everything is just so jumbled up in the Pac-12,” Smith said.

Utah, which is unbeaten at home this season, still has yet to win on the road in conference play, going 0-3 away from Salt Lake City since Pac-12 action began.

Against Arizona State and Arizona, transition points and turnovers cost the Utes.

In a loss at Stanford a week and a half ago, Utah had to adjust to having two starters miss the majority of the game — guard Rollie Worster was ruled out prior to tipoff, while center Lawson Lovering was injured less than four minutes in.

“We just haven’t been as disciplined as we need. I don’t feel we had the edge that we need,” Smith said of Utah’s recent road woes.

In place of Worster and Lovering, guard Deivon Smith and center Keba Keita have shined in sliding into the starting lineup — the coach said Deivon Smith, in particular, “you can really see it and feel it the last three games where he’s really kind of gotten basketball’s rhythm and timing.”

Still, the Utes need to travel the winning formula they’ve developed at home and make it work on the road.

“We’ve got to eliminate losing to win,” Craig Smith said. “You don’t have to play perfect, but we do have to be tighter with all of our stuff. We’ve got to rebound, play with more physicality.”

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Washington

Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid

Published

5 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid

Washington Wizards (16-55, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-51, 14th in the Western Conference)

Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Utah after losing 16 in a row.

The Jazz have gone 13-24 in home games. Utah ranks second in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.

The Wizards are 5-29 in road games. Washington is 9-10 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 15.3 turnovers per game.

The Jazz score 117.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 124.1 the Wizards give up. The Wizards’ 46.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.9 percentage points lower than the Jazz have allowed to their opponents (49.0%).

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 122-112 on March 6, with Ace Bailey scoring 32 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.7 points per game.

Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.

INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Cody Williams: out (shoulder), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D’Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Washington

Washington sues USDA, alleging billions in funds illegally withheld

Published

17 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Washington sues USDA, alleging billions in funds illegally withheld

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alleging the federal agency is illegally withholding billions of dollars in funding and attempting to force states into compliance with unlawful demands.

The complaint, filed as part of a multistate effort, argues the USDA has threatened to cut off critical funding tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, unless states agree to federal conditions that exceed the agency’s authority, according to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

Other critical programs that would be affected include the school lunch program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and the Volunteer Fire Capacity Program.

Brown’s office said the funding at stake supports the administration of SNAP, a federally funded, state-run program that provides food assistance to millions of low-income Americans. Washington alone receives about $129.5 million annually to administer the program, and disruptions could have “catastrophic” consequences for residents who rely on it, according to the attorney general’s office.

In the lawsuit, the state alleges the USDA is effectively holding those funds “hostage” to compel states to comply with federal directives, including demands tied to program data and administration, according to the complaint and accompanying news release from Brown’s office.

The legal challenge contends the USDA’s actions violate federal law, including constitutional limits and statutory authority governing the SNAP program. The coalition of states argues the federal government cannot condition funding on requirements that were not authorized by Congress, according to the complaint.

Brown said the lawsuit is aimed at protecting both funding and the people who depend on it.

“The rule of law is on our side,” Brown said in a statement, adding that the state is seeking to ensure continued support for vulnerable residents and prevent federal overreach.

According to the attorney general’s office, SNAP serves as a key safety net nationwide, delivering billions of dollars in food assistance. States administer the program but rely on federal funding to operate it.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare the USDA’s actions unlawful and block the agency from withholding funds or imposing conditions the states argue are illegal.

The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges involving SNAP, as states push back on what they describe as unprecedented federal demands tied to the program’s operation and funding, according to the Washington attorney general’s office.

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Washington

Washington Nationals acquire infielder Jorbit Vivas

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Washington Nationals acquire infielder Jorbit Vivas

The Washington Nationals acquired infielder Jorbit Vivas from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Sean Paul Liñan on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Vivas, 25, hit .270 with 21 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 43 RBI, 64 walks, 12 stolen

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