The University of Utah Runnin’ Utes fell to the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday, 74-56. The Utes struggled at the start, as Branden Carlson received two quick fouls and was delegated to the bench most of the first half. They would go on to make brief runs, eventually taking the lead, but a second half 19-3 Beavers run squashed any hopes the Utes had of a road victory.

Here are the takeaways from the game:

Plummer and the team go ice cold from three

The stat line says it all, 1-11 from the field, 0-7 from three-point range, one rebound, and one assist. In just under 29 minutes, and shooting is your calling-card, it was a rough go for Utah’s best deep threat.

Oregon State’s athleticism and defensive tenacity was too much and they completely shut him down, never allowing him to find any rhythm. It didn’t help that the team overall shot 3-18 from beyond the arc for just under 17%. Riley Battin was the only Ute to make multiple threes and he was only 2-8 for 25%. A lot of credit goes to the Oregon State defense.

Utes are lost without Jantunen and Jones

The Utes are severely undermanned right now, something that can be viewed as a valid excuse for Larry Keystkowiak. Timmy Allen is a rock (24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists) and also the team’s best player, by far. His play, however, can’t not make up for the dirty work and the things that both of those guys do that does always show in the box score. Asking anyone else to take over those roles at this stage in the season is a next to impossible task, aside from the occasional breakout game from freshman Ian Martinez.

Against an experienced team that could match his athleticism, though, it wasn’t his night. Martinez went 0-2 in 21 minutes with three rebounds, one block, and two turnovers before fouling out. The Utes had 20 turnovers on the night—few games are ever won with that ghastly number of turnovers.

For the Utes to even have a chance to close out the season strong, their hopes hinge on both Jantunen and Jones being able to steady a leaky ship.

“Weak links” and “out in left field”

Krystkowiak took to the podium for interviews visibly frustrated. What would follow was interesting as he attributed the loss on “weak links” and guys lost “out in left field.” While Ute fans are tired of losses like these, one must appreciate the honesty... that is, unless you’re a player.

This isn’t about players in today’s game being soft mentally. There constructive criticism and then there’s not. There’s a right and a wrong way to approach things and anyone who has ever played a sport can relate that a coach using the terminology and not taking blame himself, could lose a team quickly.

In today’s day and age—whether people want to say players are being babies because they can’t take the heat—that lingo that Krystkowiak used is out of touch with today’s game. Players won’t say it publicly, but behind closed doors, those comments won’t sit well, at all.

Up next

The Utes travel to Eugene on Saturday to take on the 13-4 Oregon Ducks. Their home game against Oregon State on Monday, had been postponed.