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Utah stayed winless in Big 12 action after falling on the road against No. 15 Texas Tech 88-74 at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.

Here are three takeaways from a loss that drops Utah under .500 on the season (8-9) and to 0-4 in Big 12 play.

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Defense, defense, defense

The Utes have the second-worst scoring defense in the Big 12, and Texas Tech took advantage of Utah’s biggest weakness this year, especially in the first half.

At halftime, the Red Raiders were shooting 57.1% — they finished the game at 51.4%.

Texas Tech also had 13 first-half assists on 20 made field goals. By game’s end, the Red Raiders had 22 assists on 36 buckets.

Texas Tech stars JT Toppin and Christian Anderson led that offensive attack, as they both went for 18 points in the first half.

Toppin scored a game-high 31 points on 14 of 23 shooting, adding 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and a steal, and Anderson had 26 points — including six 3-pointers — to go with 10 assists, three rebounds and two steals.

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The Red Raiders’ defense, meanwhile, did enough to keep Utah from seriously challenging in the second half and helped fuel an 18-1 Texas Tech run in the first half to break the game open.

The Red Raiders also forced Utah into 13 turnovers and blocked eight shots while holding Utah to 43.1% shooting.

Simply put, unless the Utes improve dramatically on defense, they’re unlikely to win more than a couple games in league play.

A lot of the same issues plagued Utah

In addition to a poor defensive night, the Utes’ woes against Texas Tech were the same ones they’ve dealt with earlier this season.

Utah got off to a slow start for the third time in four Big 12 games, as Texas Tech got out to a quick 15-6 lead while making its first five shots.

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The Red Raiders dominated the paint, out-rebounding Utah 41-28 and 13-6 on the offensive glass.

As a result, Texas Tech outscored the Utes 14-6 in second-half points.

It was raining 3s for both teams

One aspect offensively that worked well for both schools was 3-point shooting.

The Utes made 12 of 25, tying their season high for number of makes — though it was the first time Utah hit double-digit 3s and lost this year.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, hit 13 of 31 from long range.

In addition to Anderson’s six, Donovan Atwell made four and Toppin three for the Red Raiders. Outside of those three, the rest of the Red Raiders team was 0 of 7 from 3-point range.

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Keanu Dawes made a career-high four 3-pointers for the Utes, as he finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Don McHenry added three 3-point makes of his own, helping him end the night with 18 points, two rebounds and an assist.

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.

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