Month: January 2026

Jan. 14, 2026, 10:13 a.m. ET

Jan. 14, 2026, 9:52 a.m. ET

Over the past month and a half, Utah women’s basketball has lost only once — a one-point loss to a then-unbeaten Arizona State team.

Outside of that, the Utes have been one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 Conference in recent weeks, and that’s helped Utah get off to a 4-1 start in league play, tied for second in the standings.

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The Utes (13-4, 4-1 Big 12) have won 10 of their past 11 games, and that streak was headlined by a 10-point overtime win over then-No. 8 TCU on Jan. 3, as Utah took down the defending league champions.

“This team has bought in. We all have to buy in constantly, and we have to indulge and sacrifice for play like this,” Utah senior guard Lani White said after the win over the Horned Frogs 10 days ago. “So it was a good night, it was a team win, but yeah, we can only go forward. That’s what we do.”

Utah (13-4, 4-1 Big 12) is coming off its first two-game road trip of conference play, and the Utes were able to fend off late rallies from both Kansas and Kansas State to stay unbeaten in true road games, at 6-0.

The next couple of weeks, though, will be especially challenging, though three of their next four contests will be in the home confines of the Huntsman Center.

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That begins with a matchup against No. 18 Baylor on Wednesday (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+) at the Huntsman.

“I think Utah has been playing really, really well the last couple of weeks. They lost on a buzzer beater basically against Arizona State at home, then beat TCU and went on the Kansas swing and kinda handled business,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen told reporters.

“They’re a team that trusts their actions and works the ball. You don’t necessarily point to any one player, I think they’re a team full of really good players that can beat you with their ball movement and their execution. It’s going to be a unique challenge.”

A little bit about Baylor

The Bears (15-3, 4-1 Big 12) are one of only two Big 12 teams with a longer winning streak than Utah right now. Baylor is on a four-game winning streak, one better than the Utes’ three, and unbeaten Texas Tech is off to a school-record 19-0 start.

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Baylor’s only loss so far in Big 12 play came at home against No. 17 Texas Tech by a point. Their signature win of conference action thus far came on Jan. 4, when the Bears handed then-No. 10 Iowa State its first loss of the year.

Going into Tuesday, Baylor was ranked No. 29 in the NET rankings, 12 spots above Utah.

The Bears have won their past eight true road games, including three this season.

Baylor is led by Taliah Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs.

Scott averages 20.6 points per game, second in the Big 12 behind only Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (28.3). Scott is shooting 41.7% from the field, 32.8% from 3 and 91.1% from the free-throw line, while adding 3.0 rebounds per game.

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Twice, Scott has been named the national player of the week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. That included earning the award two weeks ago, when she helped Baylor rally from 19 down against Oklahoma State, then hit the game-winner in beating Iowa State.

Littlepage-Buggs is averaging 10.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She had her ninth double-double of the year with 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Bears’ win over Kansas on Sunday.

This will be the fourth meeting all-time between Baylor and Utah, with the Bears winning all three previous meetings. That’s included a Baylor win over the Utes in each of the past two seasons.

What’s been working for Utah

While White and fellow senior guard Maty Wilke have been the primary playmakers for Utah this season, the Utes are getting plenty of solid contributions — and it can change on any given night.

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White, who has earned the Big 12’s weekly starting five honors twice, is averaging a team-high 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while Wilke, despite dealing with a nagging shoulder injury, is averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest.

Reese Ross is coming off a career night, when she had 21 points in a win over Kansas State, and she’s the team’s top rebounder (7.9 per game). Ross has had double-digit rebounds in four of Utah’s last six games.

Then there’s players like Brooke Walker, Chrya Evans, LA Sneed, Avery Hjelmstad, Grace Foster and Evelina Otto, who’ve all come up with major contributions at different times — it’s shown off the depth Gavin Petersen’s group has.

What the road ahead holds

Utah will play three of its next four games at home. Those three opponents the Utes will face at home are a combined 13-2 record in Big 12 play.

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After Wednesday night’s game, Utah will hit the road for a game at Houston, which is 0-5 in league play, on Saturday before returning to Salt Lake City.

The Utes will then host No. 17 Texas Tech (19-0, 6-0 Big 12) on Jan. 24, then West Virginia (14-3, 4-1 Big 12) on Jan. 27 before playing at rival BYU (14-3, 3-2 Big 12) on Jan. 31 to wrap up the month.

Thus far, Utah has only played one team, TCU, who is in the upper half of the Big 12 standings. The No. 10 Horned Frogs are 16-1, 4-1 in league play, having won two straight after losing to the Utes.

Utah’s three other wins in Big 12 play have come against Arizona (1-4 in Big 12 play), Kansas (1-4) and Kansas State (2-3).

The Utes’ lone loss in league play came against an Arizona State team that stands 16-2 and 3-2 in league play.

With the exit of the No. 1 recruit of the 2026 class, Utah’s locker room faces a major blow. The four-star athlete left within a week after enrollment, which can be traced to Kyle Whittingham’s move to Michigan. While the timing could not be worse, reports suggest that the receiver is well aware of his transfer destination even before entering the portal.

According to Chris Hummer of CBS Sports, Utah 2026 signee Salesi Moa entered the transfer portal on Monday evening, January 12, with a ‘do not contact’ tag, typically suggesting that he’s already made up his mind on his transfer destination. Moa was originally committed to Tennessee but flipped his commitment to Utah the day after the early signing period.

Apart from him, former offensive coordinator Jason Beck left alongside assistant coaches Jim Harding, Micah Simon, Lewis Powell, Koy Detmer Jr., and Doug Elisaia, have also left since longtime coach Kyle Whittingham exited the program for Michigan on December 26. Meanwhile, the Utes continue to face the ripple effects of this transfer.

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Moa claimed it was a very difficult decision to make, and had to make the decision considering his long-term and short-term goals.

“It was really hard because I love Morgan Scalley, and I have a lot of respect for Chad Bumphis, the new WR coach, as well,” Salesi Moa said, per On3’s Greg Biggins. “Utah is always going to be close to my heart…it is a big stage, but I want to play on an even bigger stage.”

Moa is the No. 5 athlete of the 2026 class, who could play on either side of the ball, and the scouting report reveals that he’s most likely fit for the wide receiver role. As a prospect from Fremont High School in Ogden, Utah, he was named Utah Region 5 MVP and had offers from 24 top schools across the country. He is now available on the portal, after two brief stints at Tennessee and Utah.

While the ‘no contact tag’ started a lot of buzz about his future destination, reports reveal that he’s trending toward Michigan already.

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Michigan emerges as the favorite for Salesi Moa

According to a report by On3’s Pete Nakos, Michigan is the likely destination for Salesi Moa in the transfer portal.

“Michigan is currently trending to land a transfer wide receiver, sources tell On3’s Steve Wiltfong and I,” Pete Nakos wrote. “We’ve logged predictions in favor of Kyle Whittingham’s program landing a commitment from Utah short-term Salesi Moa. The top-ranked recruit out of Utah in the cycle projects as a wide receiver for the Wolverines.”

This might be a little hyperbolic, but Michigan football has long been connected to Salesi Moa, but they were never on the same page. The Wolverines’ old staff tried their best to recruit Moa as a DB, but he was committed to Kyle Whittingham and Utah as a wide receiver. The 6-foot-2 prospect even visited Ann Arbor this November for a game.

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He signed with Utah just days before Whittingham was announced as the head coach of Michigan, and now the Wolverines could likely add their dream recruit to their roster. With Brady Marchese leaving for Auburn, Moa could be a great fit for the Wolverines and could make dynamic plays along with Travis Johnson, Jaime Ffrench, and JJ Buchanan, who Whittingham’s staff just brought through the transfer portal.

The post Utah Utes’ Worst Nightmare of Kyle Whittingham Leaving for Michigan Comes True appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Toronto Maple Leafs (23-15-7, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Utah Mammoth (22-20-4, in the Central Division)

Salt Lake City; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EST

Mammoth -157, Maple Leafs +132; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to keep their four-game win streak alive when they visit the Utah Mammoth.

Utah has an 11-7-2 record in home games and a 22-20-4 record overall. The Mammoth have a 21-7-0 record when scoring at least three goals.

Toronto is 23-15-7 overall and 7-10-2 on the road. The Maple Leafs have a +10 scoring differential, with 152 total goals scored and 142 conceded.

Tuesday’s game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Maple Leafs won the previous meeting 5-3.

TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Guenther has 21 goals and 16 assists for the Mammoth. Nick Schmaltz has four goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Auston Matthews has 22 goals and 14 assists for the Maple Leafs. Matthew Knies has five goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mammoth: 5-4-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Maple Leafs: 8-0-2, averaging 4.3 goals, 5.8 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Mammoth: None listed.

Maple Leafs: None listed.

——

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Emotion filled the arena Monday night.

Love. Appreciation. Nostalgia. Joy. Excitement.

But by the end of the game, there was an overriding feeling: Disappointment. Perhaps even anger.

The enigmatic Cavs lost to the reeling Utah Jazz, 123-112, at Rocket Arena. Cleveland is now just 2-3 in its last five games.

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“They came in and just outplayed us,” Donovan Mitchell said. “But we are at fault as well for not coming out ready to go.”

Fresh off quite possibly their best and most complete win of the season, the Cavs spoke about playing more like themselves, looking like the contender so many expected at the beginning of the season.

So much for that.

The Jazz entered the night losers of six of the last seven. They were days removed from a 55-point rout.

And, yet the Cavs went down 12-2 in the first four-plus minutes. It was 21-4 around the midway point of the first quarter.

That’s when franchise legend Kevin Love, playing just his second game in Cleveland since an unceremonious buyout in 2023, received a warm embrace complete with a sentimental video tribute.

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Shortly after that special moment, which led to Love getting a standing ovation and pointing to his ring finger — a nod to the 2016 championship — the 18-year NBA veteran checked into the game for the Jazz.

Another round of applause.

The Cavs welcomed him back by going on a 10-2 run, trimming the Jazz lead back to single digits. But that surge short-circuited. By the end of those mostly lifeless 12 minutes, heavily favored Cleveland was down by a dozen.

The Cavs awoke in the second quarter, seemingly overwhelming the 25-loss Jazz and outscoring them 40-20, securing an eight-point halftime advantage.

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But Utah regrouped, pulling even three minutes into the third quarter and then leading by four going into the fourth. It was up by double digits with about nine minutes remaining and the Cavs only got as close as six before the Jazz stifled every comeback attempt, closing out the game with relative ease.

Cleveland, which trailed for nearly 38 minutes Monday night, didn’t lead at any point in the final 17:15.

As the final minutes ticked away, boos started trickling through the crowd. It’s been the soundtrack to this up-and-down season.

Another inexplicable and inexcusable loss.

“I think it’s the psychology of sports,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said following the loss. “I think they took one on the chin — a tough, tough defeat, and they came in here desperate. We scored 146 points against Minnesota, get a little on your high horse, which you have no right to do, and sometimes the psychology of this is the most important thing.

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“They were desperate, they were physical. They won the aggressive match. I think they won the mental battle and I guess I could do a better job of putting appropriate fear. It’s the NBA. They’ve got a lot of talent out there. I think they were desperate and we just kind of played. You get your tail handed to you and it’s like that in this league.”

Utah guard Keyonte George finished with a game-high 32 points. Former Cavalier Lauri Markkanen, the centerpiece of the blockbuster deal that brought Mitchell to Cleveland nearly four years ago, added 28 points and 12 rebounds. Love chipped in with 11 points off the bench.

The Cavs were led by Darius Garland who had 23 points and eight assists. Mitchell tallied 21 points, going just 7 of 18 from the field. Evan Mobley nearly recorded a triple-double with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Sam Merrill (14 points), Nae’Qwan Tomlin (13) and Jaylon Tyson (11) also hit double figures for the Cavs, who were without Dean Wade (knee contusion) and Max Strus (foot surgery).

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“I think we’ve got a good team,” Atkinson proclaimed. “Games like this happen. I hate to say it. We won five out of seven. Like, it’s not like we’ve lost five out of seven, so we just gotta keep perspective.”

Before the game, it was all smiles, hugs and handshakes — a chance to reminisce.

Mitchell with the old franchise that helped mold him into an MVP candidate. Injured Georges Niang, traded by the Cavs at last year’s deadline, with former teammates that miss his leadership and veteran voice. Markkanen with familiar faces that helped resuscitate his career. Love with past mates, coaches and trainers. There were even fans who brought jerseys, asked for autographs and posed for photos with Love.

It was a feel-good night in Cleveland — until the game started.

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“We gotta fix it,” Mitchell said pointedly. “Focus on the little details. When we’re in this position, we can’t afford to have the little mistakes. We don’t have the margin for error. That’s the frustrating part is it’s like, it’s there. We see it. We just gotta figure it out.”

Up next

The Cavs will head to Philadelphia for two games against the 76ers. The first is Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Read the original article on cleveland.com.