The Runnin’ Utes held off a furious late rally from the #6 Kentucky Wildcats in Las Vegas, defeating them 69 to 66. Rylan Jones returned to the lineup and the Utes earned their biggest win of the season on national television. Utah looked like they were going to win this one running away, taking a double digit lead early, but the talented Wildcats chipped away at the lead and forced Utah turnovers to make it a very interesting game in the final minutes. Here are our takeaways from Wednesday night.

Gach and Allen set the tone

From the very beginning of the game, Both Gach was in attack mode. Early on, Gach was outscoring Kentucky by himself, as the Utes found themselves up early 10-4. Gach cooled off after the first 10 minutes of the game, but Timmy Allen continued his steady play. While he gets the ball a lot and scores a lot off the dribble, Allen’s game is not flashy with a three-point shot or athletic dunks. Instead, he is crafty on the block with his footwork and gets his points consistently. The two elders of this young team led them in scoring, with Allen finishing with 25 points and Gach finishing with 14. While Allen was fairly consistent throughout the game, Gach faded into the background in the second half. This team is going to need Gach to make his presence known throughout an entire game if they are going to win big games like this one in conference play.

Welcome back, Mr. Jones

After missing the Weber State game with an injury, Rylan Jones started against Kentucky. While he struggled in moments during the game, his poise and control were a welcome addition to the offense. Jones’ toughness was on display late in the game, as he took a big fall on a layup, landing on his right side and was pulled out for a moment, only to return a few moments later. His three-point shooting as a threat was also missed, hitting 3 of 4 on his way to 12 points. More importantly, when he is playing well and driving to the paint, he sets up the three ball for his teammates.

Turnovers make an unfortunate appearance

For about the first 30 minutes of the game, the Utes were in control of the game and led by as many as 17 points before the Kentucky athleticism wore down Utah on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Kentucky scored many easy buckets on fast breaks from sloppy Utah turnovers late in the game and the Wildcats tied the game at 66 with just 1:43 left. While the Utes held on to win, it is concerning that the offense stalled so early in the second half with Jones, Gach, and Allen all in the game.