The Runnin’ Utes nearly pulled off an upset over the No. 9 UCLA Bruins on Thursday, which would have given new Utah head coach Craig Smith a huge signature win in his first season. It was a back and forth battle from start to finish, as the Bruins did just enough to survive the upset with a 63-58 victory.

Here are the takeaways from the game:

Stefanovic breaks out

Utah freshman guard/forward Lazar Stefanovic rewarded Smith with his unwavering trust in him, as Stefanovic led Utah with a team-high 18 points. Time after time when Utah needed a big basket, the freshman delivered, although his shot in the closing seconds fell short.

Smith and his staff obviously see something special that could develop in the newcomer from Belgrade, Serbia. They’ve shown that and rewarded him by sticking with him after some up and down performances. He can continue to display the confidence he showed against the Bruins, he could work his way into the focal point of the offense. It’s up to him to show consistency, but the potential is there.

The difference was at the foul line

The Utes went toe-to-toe with UCLA battling close to even in most of the crucial categories. The one area of big difference, however, was at the foul line. The Utes shot 14 free-throws on the night, while the Bruins were just one off that in the first half (13) and finished the game going 22-29. Utah on the other hand was 11-14.

The reality of the situation is that in a close matchup against a team with UCLA’s recent credibility, they’re going to get the calls over a struggling Utah team. It’s just how the game of basketball works.

Ultimately, the Utes just didn’t have an answer for UCLA star Johnny Juzang who finished with a season-high 28 points and 7-8 from the foul line. They also struggled defending UCLA guard Jules Bernard, who finished with eight of his fourteen points at the foul line. Those two alone had more free-throw attempts than Utah with 18.

It’s more than just the number of turnovers

Utah only committed 11 turnovers against the Bruins, eight of those coming in the second half. While it’s less than their typical number, it’s what UCLA was able to do with those opportunities that helped them pull away just as much as the free-throw differential. UCLA scored 15 points off of turnovers compared to Utah scoring four. That’s a sizable differential and a recipe for disaster.

Looking for positives out of this though, Utah played a much cleaner game against one of the best teams in the country.

Up next

The Runnin’ Utes close out the week on Saturday against No. 15 USC at the Huntsman Center at 4:30 PM MST. The Utes will be honoring the late-great Wat Misaka with a jersey ceremony.