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A preteen Utah girl and her mother were found dead Sunday inside a hotel room in Las Vegas in what authorities are investigating as an apparent murder-suicide, police and community officials said Monday.

Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded Sunday to a hotel near West Flamingo Road and South Valley View Boulevard for a welfare check after the pair failed to arrive at a scheduled cheer competition and could not be contacted, according to police.

When officers made entry into the room, they located two people deceased. Preliminary information from investigators indicates the mother shot her daughter before turning the gun on herself. A note was recovered from the room, police said. Authorities have not released details about its contents.

Utah Xtreme Cheer, a competitive cheer organization based in Utah, confirmed Sunday night that one of its athletes had died.

“With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post. “We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family.”

Earlier Sunday, the organization had posted that the athlete and her mother were missing after they did not arrive at competition and could not be reached, stating that police had been contacted.

Utah Fusion All-Stars also identified the athlete who died as Addi, writing on social media that she “was absolutely loved in our gym” and “will always be remembered for her sweet smile and light that she brought to her teams.”

The Utah Cinderella Pageant expressed condolences to the family, saying Addi’s “bright smile and kindness will never be forgotten.”

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. No additional details have been released.

Suicide prevention resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Crisis hotlines

• Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000

• SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388

• 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988

• Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386

Online resources

With 1:56 remaining, it looked like Utah was on its way to winning its second Big 12 Conference game of the season despite a rough shooting day.

The Utes crashed the boards, were showing improved defensive effort (even with some breakdowns) and had found a way to overcome a nine-point first-half deficit, even as they struggled to shoot in the second half.

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The ending, though, fell apart.

Utah stumbled in the final two minutes, as Cincinnati scored the game’s last nine points in a 69-65 win.

“We got a little tentative, and it’s a shame,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said in his postgame interview on ESPN 700 AM.

The Runnin’ Utes (9-16, 1-11 Big 12) went up a game-high five points, at 65-60, when Keanu Dawes hit a fadeaway jumper with 1:52 remaining.

From there, though, Cincinnati made the plays to win.

First, Day Day Thomas scored to make it 65-62 after Cincinnati extended its possession with an offensive rebound.

Then, Terrence Brown missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and Baba Miller made two free throws for Cincinnati to trim Utah’s lead to 65-64 with 1:06 to play.

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Don McHenry missed a running jumper, and the Utes’ transition defense gave up a Miller dunk with 40 seconds left, putting the Bearcats ahead 66-65.

While Utah still had its opportunities to win, the Utes couldn’t capitalize. Dawes missed a 3, McHenry was off target on the front end of a 1-and-1 as well as a 3-point attempt and Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7 Big 12) made 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch.

The missed free throws, on a day where the Utes went 12 of 15 from the line, and giving up the go-ahead dunk on a fast break stood out among the plays Utah couldn’t make in clutch moments.

On the fast break, Jizzle James threw ahead to Jalen Celestine, and with Dawes trying to protect the paint in a 2-on-1 situation, Celestine passed to Miller along the baseline at the last second, leading to the bucket.

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“We missed the front of the 1-on-1 and then … transition D, we had a couple guys fall down,” Jensen said “Seydou stopped and stabbed at the ball, and then KD, as hard as 2-on-1 (is), we talk about fouling them and not letting him have it.

“I think we fought hard. I think down the stretch, they got a little tentative, but again, it’s hard to win when you have more turnovers than assists on offense.”

Utah’s turnover-to-assist ratio — the Utes’ gave it away 13 times and had only 12 assists — was part of a frustrating day where Utah only shot 36.1% for the game, and 30.3% in the second half.

While Utah hit more 3-pointers, with nine to Cincinnati’s four, the Utes were outscored 32-16 in the paint and 12-4 in fast break points.

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Jensen has often talked about how the Utes’ margin for error is small with his first-year group — there was so much turnover on Jensen’s first roster, and Utah has had injuries impact its plans time and again.

Against the Bearcats, the Utes were making the plays to overcome those adversities — until the end.

Jensen noted that his squad is still learning to work through letdowns and not suffer ups and downs throughout games.

“We did a good job defensively. You’re gonna make mistakes, just gotta eliminate (mental errors). … I think we tend to get sped up sometimes, that’s partially something I could help them with,” Jensen said.

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“I thought we played hard, and it’s a shame, because I told them all along, we’re good enough to win these games and they’ve done a better job. You got to forget yourself and figure out how you fit into the team and do that job, and we’ll be fine.”

Despite facing a team that had a significant size advantage, thanks to the 6-foot-11 Miller and 7-2 Mousthapa Thiam, Utah scraped its way to a 40-30 rebounding edge, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.

As a result, the Utes held a 16-11 advantage on second-chance points.

That helped close the gap against a Cincinnati team that shot 44.4% from the field and 17 of 22 at the free-throw line.

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McHenry led four Utah players in double-figures, as he had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. He also made a team-high three 3-pointers.

Dawes added 16 points and 14 rebounds to continue his recent string of standout games, while Brown (11 points) and Traore (10 points, five rebounds) also scored in double-figures.

“He’s had a great three-game run. I think he’s played really hard,” Jensen said of Dawes. “I think he’s being more aggressive. It was great on him. Again, we continually want him to keep doing that, and hopefully others can play off of him and use that to better their game.”

On Cincinnati’s side, Miller put up 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Thiam had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

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Thomas (16 points) and Keyshaun Tillery (10 points, three assists) also scored in double-figures.

The effort was there for Utah, the execution was not — not enough to win, anyway.

The Bearcats still have aspirations — even if it’s long odds — to make the NCAA tournament, while Utah is seeking to build momentum at the end of a trying season.

It’s moments like these that can be frustrating as the losses pile up — Utah lost its seventh straight with Sunday’s setback — but are a part of a learning curve as Jensen works through the process of rebuilding the Utah program, all while competing in the ultra tough Big 12.

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For now, the Utes will try to rally quickly away from home. Utah will continue a two-game road trip when they face West Virginia on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. MST, FS1).

“We’ll probably take tomorrow (and) watch this game. That’s the one nice thing about the road is you get to spend time together,” Jensen said. “None of us get a chance to go to the people around us to tell us what we want to hear.

“We can go and watch the game by ourselves. And hopefully we can, like I told them after the game, get better individually and collectively.”

Updated Feb. 15, 2026, 6:41 p.m. ET

After 22 years of coaching the Canyon View swim team, with multiple runner-up finishes, coach Kirt Brown finally had his moment in the pool.

Moments after it was announced that the Canyon view boys and girls had won 3A team titles at the Utah state meet, Brown and his fellow coaches joined the teams with a fully clothed leap into the pool.

“This feels really good,” Brown said. “We really looked at the numbers for the boys and decided to let the kids swim what they wanted to. The strategy there is ‘what do you want to swim and what do you feel like you are a state championship swimmer in’, not what do I want you to swim for the team and it worked out well for the team.

The Canyon View boys racked up 353 points, ahead of Union (317) and Emery (272).

In the first event of the day the Canyon View foursome of Sean Cannon, Ryker Poulos, Ty Lauer and Jaxon Bleak won the 200-yard medley relay (1:42.01).

In the next boys race, Cannon, who tied the 3A meet record during Friday’s preliminaries, won a second gold medal in the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.01).

“It still felt good today,” Cannon said. “I didn’t get much rest in between the medley relay and the 200 freestyle but I’ll take the title.

Cannon’s day was far from over.

He set a meet record in the 100-yard backstroke (:51.19) and teamed with Poulos, Lauer and Mason Carter to win the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“One of my biggest keys is getting plenty of sleep,” Cannon said. “That and having good people and coaches around me helps our team do what we do.”

Other event winners for Canyon View came from Lauer in the 200-Yard IM (2:01.50) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:48.54) and Poulos in the 100-yard butterfly (:51.43).

Richfield’s Lincoln Hansen won two events capturing the 50-yard freestyle (:21.90) and 100-yard breaststroke (:58.43).

Like their male counterparts the Canyon View girls scored big early points when the foursome of Gracie Taylor, Lucy Tanner, Sydni Lauer and Soleil Grimshaw won the 200-yard medley relay (1:56.86).

That relay win was the launching pad for a girls team that amassed 509 points, ahead of Union (248.5) and Carbon (241).

Grimshaw was named the meet’s outstanding female swimmer winning the 50-yard freestyle (:25.30) the 100-yard freestyle (:55.01) and teaming with Taylor, Lauer and Sydney Lovell to win the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:50.93).

Winning her races and a team title meant everything to Grimshaw.

“It was definitely God’s will,” she said. “We put a lot of hard work in and the whole team worked together. It’s amazing that all this work we put in culminated in a state title.”

Other event winners for Canyon View came from Lauer in the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.66), Lovell in the 500-yard freestyle (5:40.78), Taylor in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.06) and Tanner in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:14.49).

Even with perennial 3A power Judge Memorial moving up to 4A Brown approached this season like he has each of the 22 he’s coached at Canyon View.

“It’s always the same and that’s how I treat everyone,” he said. “Every year it comes down to what you want to swim and what’s best for individual times. When it comes down to it it’s just about the kids and the individuals and our kids worked their tails off this year.”

3A girls state swim meet

At BYU

Team scores

1. Canyon View, 509
2. Union, 248.5
3. Carbon, 241
4. Emery, 224
5. Logan, 158
6. North Sanpete, 136
7. Ogden, 135.5
8. Morgan, 106

Individual results

200 medley relay

1. Canyon View, (Gracie Taylor, Lucy Tanner, Sydni Lauer, Soleil Grimshaw), 1:56.86
2. Emery, 2:02.31
3. Logan, 2:10.01
4. Richfield, 2:15.06
5. Grantsville, 2:17.17
6. Morgan, 2:17.84
7. Carbon, 2:19.70
8. Delta, 2:38.08

200 freestyle

1. Emery Lachance, Union, Jr., 2:02.60
2. Gracie Taylor, Canyon View, Jr., 2:03.38
3. Sydney Lovell, Canyon View, Jr., 2:06.22
4. Maya Bower, Carbon, Jr., 2:10.73
5. Madi Fletcher, Canyon View, So., 2:11.75
6. Evaleen Schoonmaker, Canyon View, So., 2:13.02
7. Dawsen Duffin, Ben Lomond, So., 2:16.46
8. Rachel Blackburn, Carbon, Sr., 2:19.38

200 individual medley

1. Lily Thayn, Carbon, Sr., 2:24.91
2. Sydni Lauer, Canyon View, Sr., 2:27.05
3. Lucy Tanner, Canyon View, Jr., 2:29.05
4. Josie Williams, Union, Jr., 2:31.01
5. Cambree Guymon, Union, So., 2:31.24
6. Sophia Brimhall, Grantsville, Fr., 2:35.12
7. Anna Stephenson, Ogden, Fr., 2:38.08
8. Anali Kling, Richfield, Jr., 2:42.52

50 freestyle

1. Soleil Grimshaw, Canyon View, Sr., 25.30
2. Lisa King, Carbon, Sr., 25.72
3. Illyria Mason, Emery, Sr., 26.15
4. Samantha Williams, Union, Fr., 26.26
5. Crewe Nelson, Ogden, So., 26.43
6. Hallie Frandsen, Emery, So., 26.68
7. Kanyon Christensen, Carbon, Sr., 27.65
8. Shaylee Alger, Canyon View, So., 27.69

100 butterfly

1. Sydni Lauer, Canyon View, Sr., 1:03.66
2. Hallie Frandsen, Emery, So., 1:04.94
3. Sarah Nielson, Ogden, Sr., 1:05.04
4. Lily Thayn, Carbon, Sr., 1:09.15
5. Tessa Smith, Morgan, Sr., 1:09.54
6. Dawsen Duffin, Ben Lomond, So., 1:10.44
7. Faith Riddle, Canyon View, Sr., 1:11.52
8. Evaleen Schoonmaker, Canyon View, So., 1:13.71

100 freestyle

1. Soleil Grimshaw, Canyon View, Sr., 55.01
2. Emery Lachance, Union, Jr., 56.33
3. Lisa King, Carbon, Sr., 57.31
4. Anna Stephenson, Ogden, Fr., 59.35
5. Samantha Williams, Union, Fr., 1:00.32
6. Kenley Reynolds, Canyon View, Jr., 1:00.92
7. Shaylee Alger, Canyon View, So., 1:02.41
8. Miri Garrity, Logan, So., 1:02.72

500 freestyle

1. Sydney Lovell, Canyon View, Jr., 5:40.78
2. Maya Bower, Carbon, Jr., 5:48.78
3. Madi Fletcher, Canyon View, So., 5:55.84
4. Sarah Nielson, Ogden, Sr., 5:57.78
5. Kolette Lovell, Canyon View, Fr., 6:02.67
6. Laken Huber, Union, Fr., 6:05.47
7. Ellie Irving, North Sanpete, So., 6:10.00
8. Rachel Blackburn, Carbon, Sr., 6:16.29

200 freestyle relay

1. Carbon, (Kanyon Christensen, Maya Bower, Lily Thayn, Lisa King), 1:48.04
2. Canyon View, 1:49.70
3. Emery, 1:49.82
4. Union, 1:52.84
5. Logan, 1:53.45
6. North Sanpete, 1:56.73
7. Richfield, 1:59.50
8. Morgan, 2:13.67

100 backstroke

1. Gracie Taylor, Canyon View, Jr., 1:04.06
2. Illyria Mason, Emery, Sr., 1:05.52
3. Cambree Guymon, Union, So., 1:05.78
4. Crewe Nelson, Ogden, So., 1:06.93
5. Josie Williams, Union, Jr., 1:07.02
6. Kenley Reynolds, Canyon View, Jr., 1:08.25
7. Tessa Smith, Morgan, Sr., 1:09.27
8. Grace Allen, Emery, Jr., 1:09.41

100 breaststroke

1. Lucy Tanner, Canyon View, Jr., 1:14.49
2. Kanyon Christensen, Carbon, Sr., 1:17.01
3. Kolette Lovell, Canyon View, Fr., 1:19.16
4. Chesney Howard, North Sanpete, Jr., 1:19.37
5. Kaybrie Kelso, North Sanpete, Jr., 1:19.95
6. Gwendaline Gardiner, Canyon View, Sr., 1:21.21
7. Loryn Mathis, Logan, Jr., 1:21.45
8. Brooklyn O’Neil, Emery, Jr., 1:21.98

400 freestyle relay

1. Canyon View, (Sydney Lovell, Gracie Taylor, Sydni Lauer, Soleil Grimshaw), 3:50.93
2. Union, 3:59.70
3. Carbon, 4:01.50
4. Ogden, 4:01.74
5. North Sanpete, 4:16.34
6. Emery, 4:17.62
7. Logan, 4:27.31
8. Morgan, 4:37.14

3A boys state swim meet

At BYU

Team scores

1. Canyon View, 353
2. Union, 317
3. Emery, 272
4. Carbon, 201.5
5. Ogden, 199
6. Richfield, 191.5
7. Morgan, 158
8. Grantsville, 103.5

Individual results

200 medley relay

1. Canyon View, (Sean Cannon, Ryker Poulos, Ty Lauer, Jaxon Bleak), 1:39.07
2. Emery, 1:40.31
3. Richfield, 1:44.89
4. Union, 1:46.21
5. Morgan, 1:48.20
6. Carbon, 1:48.73
7. Ogden, 1:48.83
8. Delta, 1:55.29

200 freestyle

1. Sean Cannon, Canyon View, Jr., 1:42.01
2. Bracken Hanson, Carbon, Jr., 1:53.11
3. Martin Gregorio, Richfield, So., 1:53.34
4. Matthew Hancock, Ogden, Jr., 1:54.83
5. Alistair Wasden, Manti, Jr., 1:57.53
6. Ashton Bennett, Union, Sr., 1:57.72
7. Zaden Swain, Union, Sr., 1:59.83
8. Logan Kranendonk, Carbon, Sr., 2:03.21

200 individual medley

1. Ty Lauer, Canyon View, Jr., 2:01.50
2. Connelly Breinholt, Morgan, Sr., 2:04.27
3. Reve Mason, Emery, Jr., 2:07.31
4. Axel Rollins, Morgan, Sr., 2:08.43
5. Brody Stephenson, Ogden, Jr., 2:16.25
6. Jaxon Bleak, Canyon View, Sr., 2:16.42
7. Tate Pearson, Union, Sr., 2:19.90
8. Smith Greyson, Morgan, Fr., 2:19.90

50 freestyle

1. Lincoln Hansen, Richfield, Sr., 21.90
2. Ryker Getchell, Union, Sr., 22.15
3. Grant Smith, Ogden, Fr., 22.34
4. Thomas Black, Emery, Sr., 23.43
5. Jamison Christiansen, Emery, Sr., 23.78
6. Cole Arthur, Carbon, Jr., 23.99
7. Keith Lewis, Grantsville, Jr., 23.99
8. James Tullis, Carbon, Sr., 24.03

100 butterfly

1. Ryker Poulos, Canyon View, Sr., 51.43
2. Connelly Breinholt, Morgan, Sr., 54.23
3. Reve Mason, Emery, Jr., 55.81
4. Tate Pearson, Union, Sr., 58.12
5. Rames Photharin, Ben Lomond, Sr., 59.12
6. Ian Powell, Union, Jr., 59.33
7. Ronny Pangan, Canyon View, Sr., 59.82
8. Cole Stanley, Canyon View, Sr., 59.86

100 freestyle

1. Ryker Getchell, Union, Sr., 48.77
2. Grant Smith, Ogden, Fr., 50.21
3. Kayson Zilles, Union, Sr., 51.27
4. Trek Petersen, Emery, Sr., 52.05
5. Mason Carter, Canyon View, Jr., 52.34
6. Alistair Wasden, Manti, Jr., 53.04
7. Tyler Daley, Emery, Sr., 53.08
8. Jaydan Brown, Delta, Jr., 56.13

500 freestyle

1. Ty Lauer, Canyon View, Jr., 4:48.54
2. Knight Palmer, North Sanpete, So., 5:06.57
3. Bracken Hanson, Carbon, Jr., 5:07.01
4. Ashton Bennett, Union, Sr., 5:17.17
5. Matthew Hancock, Ogden, Jr., 5:19.76
6. Zaden Swain, Union, Sr., 5:29.62
7. Logan Kranendonk, Carbon, Sr., 5:31.14
8. Keith Lewis, Grantsville, Jr., 5:41.57

200 freestyle relay

1. Emery, (Trek Petersen, Jamison Christiansen, Reve Mason, Thomas Black), 1:31.61
2. Canyon View, 1:36.51
3. Union, 1:37.70
4. Carbon, 1:37.72
5. Ogden, 1:39.91
6. Delta, 1:42.08
7. Richfield, 1:43.98
8. Manti, 1:44.15

100 backstroke

1. Sean Cannon, Canyon View, Jr., 51.19
2. Thomas Black, Emery, Sr., 55.44
3. Martin Gregorio, Richfield, So., 56.50
4. James Tullis, Carbon, Sr., 56.96
5. Jamison Christiansen, Emery, Sr., 1:00.65
6. Cole Stanley, Canyon View, Sr., 1:01.52
7. Brody Stephenson, Ogden, Jr., 1:03.50
8. Brekker Bunnell, Emery, Jr., 1:03.75

100 breaststroke

1. Lincoln Hansen, Richfield, Sr., 58.43
2. Trek Petersen, Emery, Sr., 1:01.09
3. Ryker Poulos, Canyon View, Sr., 1:02.13
4. Axel Rollins, Morgan, Sr., 1:05.01
5. Mason Carter, Canyon View, Jr., 1:05.99
6. Kayson Zilles, Union, Sr., 1:07.30
7. Cole Arthur, Carbon, Jr., 1:08.02
8. Brendon Scott, Grantsville, So., 1:08.11

400 freestyle relay

1. Canyon View, (Ryker Poulos, Mason Carter, Ty Lauer, Sean Cannon), 3:18.22
2. Union, 3:27.12
3. Richfield, 3:28.31
4. Ogden, 3:30.92
5. Morgan, 3:36.43
6. Emery, 3:42.90
7. Carbon, 3:53.44
8. Grantsville, 4:00.56

Just after sunrise at Salt Lake City International Airport, the runways and gates are already buzzing. Flights are lining up for takeoff, connections are inbound and the day’s first lake-effect snow flurries begin to roll off the Wasatch Range. In the control tower and dispatch centers, teams are watching not just the skies but also the weather models behind them.

Their ability to see beyond the horizon is made possible by one of the most critical engines of atmospheric science in the country: the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR. Though few passengers will ever hear its name, NCAR’s research supports the very tools that help keep flights on time — and safe — at airports like SLC and across the country.

Many government programs are bloated and inefficient. Some are controversial. Historically, NCAR has been neither. However, now, its future is uncertain.

A few weeks ago, federal leaders surprised the scientific community when they signaled a planned break-up and redistribution of NCAR’s research functions, all over rumors it was “a source of climate alarmism.” Whether it is or it isn’t, one thing is clear to those of us who work closely in this vital space: Unwinding NCAR runs a deeper risk that we break apart a functioning, widely relied-on institution whose science touches nearly every aspect of American life. With a formal federal review extending into March, this conversation should not fade from view.

NCAR’s work is far from academic abstraction — it directly supports public safety, economic resilience and environmental planning, including here in Utah. In moments of extreme weather, those tools can mean the difference between preparation and tragedy, as the nation was reminded during late-January Winter Storm Fern, when reports tied the weather system to dozens of deaths and widespread disruption across the eastern United States. From tracking smoke and air quality during wildfire season to helping ski resorts and water managers plan around snowpack, NCAR provides the foundational models, data and research systems that underpin the tools our communities rely on every day and in times of emergency.

In aviation, NCAR’s contributions are especially pronounced. Commercial aviation, a ubiquitous component of modern life, is measurably safer and more predictable due in large part to NCAR’s work. Pilots rely on aviation weather tools and systems that are grounded in NCAR-developed science to predict wind shear, anticipate turbulence, and diagnose airborne icing risks. These tools — developed in collaboration with FAA, airlines and the broader aviation weather community — have saved lives, reduced delays and improved fuel efficiency across our airspace system, including at growing regional hubs like Salt Lake City.

We know how important these tools are. At Campbell Scientific, headquartered in Logan, Utah, we develop environmental monitoring systems used by airports, transportation agencies, utilities and researchers around the world. We are a global leader in part because our work is grounded in stable, public research like NCAR’s — research that bridges the gap between science and real-world application. NCAR enables companies like ours to build tools that improve public infrastructure and safety. Its impact is magnified through the broader ecosystem of public-private partnerships that drive American innovation.

Dismantling or fragmenting NCAR would ripple through that ecosystem — delaying innovation, weakening partnerships and potentially eroding the open-access science that enables small businesses and public agencies to act on shared information. It would also undercut the pipeline of trained atmospheric scientists and engineers who go on to serve in critical government and industry roles — many of them here in Utah.

This isn’t about partisanship or ideology. It’s about preserving institutions that work. For decades, NCAR has quietly underpinned U.S. leadership in environmental forecasting. Its presence in the West brings national capability closer to the unique needs of our region, while also serving global efforts to understand and respond to a changing climate.

Utah’s transportation networks, outdoor economy and public lands management all depend on trusted weather and climate science. As our state prepares to host the world once again with the return of the Olympic Winter Games, the value of reliable forecasting, air quality monitoring, and hazard readiness will only grow.

Let’s protect what works. Let’s strengthen — not weaken — the institutions that make our skies safer, our forecasts more accurate and our communities more resilient.

Having lost its past two games and three of its previous four, the Utah women’s basketball team needed a spark to push its NCAA tournament hopes back in the right direction when Cincinnati came to the Huntsman Center on Saturday evening.

The Utes found that spark by doing what they do best — sharing the ball.

Utah had 22 assists on 24 made buckets, and the Utes beat the Bearcats 67-59 in front of a crowd that included plenty of former Utah players on hand for Elaine Elliott’s banner celebration.

Utah’s winningest head coach was honored at halftime, and thankfully for the crowd, the Utes (17-9, 8-6 Big 12) put on a show good enough for a win.

“It’s been a minute since we’ve won at home. I’m really excited about that. We had 22 assists on 24 made baskets. That’s Utah basketball,” Utah coach Gavin Petersen said.

“I’m really proud of our kids for moving the ball and sharing the ball.”

That effort was led by senior Lani White, who dropped in a game-high 23 points and hit six 3-pointers.

She also had six rebounds and two assists to counter four turnovers while shooting 8 of 14 from the field.

“I was confident in my shot, but I was trying to play within our offense, kick out 3s, just playing inside out,” White said.

“The rim looked a lot bigger after the first shot went in. I was trying to stay within our system and hit the normal shots that we always shoot.”

White’s fellow senior Maty Wilke also came up big, adding 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

While it wasn’t the best shooting night for the Utes, who shot 41.4% from the floor and were 8 of 29 from 3-point range, they were 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, struggled scoring until the fourth quarter as it tried to rally. The Bearcats (9-17, 4-10 Big 12) shot 38.7% overall, 2 of 11 from 3-point range and 9 of 17 from the free-throw line.

“The tougher team wins and the past two games, we weren’t the tougher team. Coming in today, that was our mindset,” Wilke said.

“That also goes with playing hard, not just going through the motions, and no matter the result, as long as you give it your all, you can live with it.”

After a slow start offensively for both teams, Utah got things going in the second quarter and kept it rolling in the third.

The Bearcats led 12-11 after one quarter, but the Utes outscored them 19-10 in the second frame to build an eight-point halftime lead.

Utah extended that lead as high as 18 points in the third quarter before weathering a rally from Cincinnati in the final period.

The Bearcats cut it to a five-point game at 55-50 with just over four minutes to play, but Utah followed the lead of White, Wilke and Reese Ross (eight points, six rebounds, two assists) in finding enough points to keep Cincinnati at bay.

White, in particular, hit a pair of big shots. First, she scored on a fastbreak layup to push the lead back out to seven (Utah ended the night with a 17-5 edge in fast break points).

Then, with 1:32 remaining, White took a pass from LA Sneed and knocked down her final 3-pointer of the night, from straightaway, to make it a double-digit lead at 62-51.

Cincinnati had three players in double-figures, led by Caliyah DeVillasee, who ended up with 13 points and five assists.

The way the Bearcats clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter was on Utah’s minds following the contest. Far too often this year, the Utes have allowed opponents to rally against them after building big leads, and Cincinnati was no exception.

“We get comfortable, but then we get casual. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is,” White said. “… We need to work on what’s working in the first half is that we need to carry that into the second, and unfortunately, we go outside of our system and go outside of ourselves, and then we start pressing the issue.

“It’s not because we have a young group. It’s just because we get comfortable and casual with that scoreboard, and that’s not Utah basketball.”

Petersen said it’s a mindset the team needs to adjust.

“Our mindset has had shifts from playing to win to playing not to lose,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out that we play to win.

“I don’t care what the score is. I don’t care how much time is left. We are playing to win.”

With only four games left in the regular season, Utah is in a tie for seventh in the Big 12 standings with Arizona State, which swept the Utes this year.

The top eight seeds in the upcoming Big 12 tournament, which runs March 4-8 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, earn a first-round bye.

The victory over the Bearcats is also important to Utah’s hopes of extending its NCAA tournament streak to five seasons, as there are several Big 12 teams — the Utes included — who are considered on the bubble as the regular season winds down.

Utah will have a quick turnaround after Saturday’s game, as it will play on Monday in a noon MST matchup at Oklahoma State.

“Credit to Cincinnati, they started to be the aggressor and in this game sometimes you get rewarded. They made a run, but we were able to withstand that and close it out down the stretch,” Petersen said.

“I’m really happy that we’re able to get this one done and now we can turn our attention to Oklahoma State and travel tomorrow, play Monday.”