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It was another heartbreaker for Kevin Young’s Cougars.

In the program’s first conference clash against Utah since 2011, BYU suffered a 73-72 overtime loss to the Runnin’ Utes Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

3 takeaways

Once again, BYU fell short both on the road and late in the second half. The Cougars have yet to win in a true road setting this season, and if they can’t do it 45 miles away from the Marriott Center and with a few thousand of their own fans in the building, it’s hard to imagine when they’ll finally find success as a visitor in the Big 12.

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BYU has now led at halftime in each of the past four contests, yet the Cougars are just 1-3 over the same stretch.

Even after the Utes missed 15 free throws on the night, and with their best player, Gabe Madsen, managing just eight points on 2-12 shooting, they still won.

BYU struggled to execute in overtime, and a number of self-inflicted wounds — namely, a Trevin Knell missed free throw with six seconds remaining that would have tied the score — ultimately buried the Cougars.

Hunter Erickson played hero. Losing to your rival is hard enough. For BYU, letting a former Cougar come alive late and make a big difference in the game has to sting much more.

Erickson played two years at BYU before eventually winding up in Salt Lake City, where he’ll now forever be remembered for his efforts in vanquishing his former teammates.

He outscored his season average of 4.4 points solely in overtime, posting six points from a clutch game-tying 3-pointer and three made free throws — all the more valuable in a game where Utah missed 15 shots from the charity stripe — which ended up being the winning difference.

Additionally, Ezra Ausar exploded for a season-high 26 points, while Lawson Lovering added 13 points, seven boards and four assists.

On the flip side, BYU didn’t get much aside from a combined 32 points from Richie Saunders and Fousseyni Traore, shooting 38.5% from the field, 26.7% from deep and 40% from the free throw line.

It’s great to have this rivalry back in the same conference. Neither BYU nor Utah will compete for the Big 12 crown this year, but Saturday’s matchup had all the feel of a high-stakes March affair.

The contest was tight, tense and dramatic from start to finish. The Huntsman Center was electric. No matter what side you rooted for, what more could you want in a basketball game?

The Cougars and Runnin’ Utes are always juiced up when they meet on the hardwood, but competing in the same league — and matching up twice per season — adds even more to the rivalry.

What a treat to get a rematch between these two squads seven weeks from now in Provo.

For the first time as Big 12 conference rivals, BYU and Utah will clash on the basketball court Saturday night in the first of two regular-season showdowns.

BYU basketball hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in their inaugural Big 12 campaign. A lopsided road loss to Houston was understandable, but back-to-back defeats against Texas Tech at home and TCU on the road have left Cougar Nation restless and eager for a turnaround.

However, a much-needed victory at the Marriott Center against Oklahoma State snapped their losing streak and may serve as a turning point. Now, rookie head coach Kevin Young faces the challenge of keeping his team focused and ready for a heated rivalry matchup in Salt Lake City.

This promises to be an electrifying game, as both teams are looking to prove themselves after rocky starts. The Utes, led by head coach Craig Smith, who previously helmed the program at Utah State, hold a 10-6 overall record and are 2-3 in conference play.

Both squads are eager to showcase their potential and claim the upper hand in what is shaping up to be a fierce battle on the hardwood.

The Sporting News has all the details on how to watch Utah vs. BYU.

What channel is Utah vs. BYU on today?

Utah vs. BYU will not be available to broadcast live on TV in the US. Fans can watch via live stream on ESPN+.

ESPN+ will be live streaming the Big 12 game.

For a limited time get 12 months of ESPN+ for the price of 9 with the purchase of an annual plan. Stream your favorite teams live and enjoy more sports anywhere with an ESPN+ subscription. 

Utah vs. BYU start time

• Date: Saturday, Jan. 18
• Time: 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT

Utah vs. BYU tips off on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Utah vs. BYU radio station

• Radio station: SiriusXM channels 143, 388

Fans can listen to Utah vs. BYU live on SiriusXM channels 388 (Utah Utes broadcast) and 143 (BYU Cougars broadcast).

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Utah basketball schedule 2024-25

Here are Utah’s next five games:

BYU basketball schedule 2024-25

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When some Wasatch County residents opened their 2022 property tax bills and saw that their taxes had nearly doubled, they knew something was wrong. What they didn’t know was that they were about to uncover a systemic failure in Utah’s property tax assessment system — one that creates unfair winners and losers among taxpayers.

In 2023, three Wasatch County taxpayers filed a lawsuit against the county assessor and State Tax Commission, exposing a troubling pattern of noncompliance with state law. Their investigation revealed a startling truth: While about 60% of property owners faced substantial tax increases, roughly 34% — including all commercial properties — actually received a 20% tax decrease. How did this happen in a state whose constitution requires fair and equitable taxation? Our lawsuit, which is just asking the court to order the defendants to follow the law, is still going through the painfully slow legal process. However, our more recent analysis shows that problems exist throughout the state in almost every county.

The answer lies in a critical failure to follow the law. Since 1993, the Utah Code has required county assessors to use computer-assisted mass appraisal systems to reassess ALL properties annually — not every five years, not when convenient. When properties aren’t uniformly reassessed, it creates a hidden shift in the tax burden. Since the majority of county revenue comes from property taxes, those whose properties are reassessed end up shouldering a disproportionate share of the county’s expenses, effectively subsidizing those whose properties remain undervalued.

We began our investigation in August 2022 and reported to the Wasatch County Council the problem we observed. In late 2022, the state auditor’s office received multiple complaints. They then began to assemble a database of the property tax data from all 29 Utah counties. Using their database, our investigation expanded beyond Wasatch County, and the results are troubling:

• Only 24 of 29 counties even responded to the state auditor’s request for data. Of those 24, only 13 provided sufficient data for analysis.
• Only three counties — Salt Lake, Davis and Washington — demonstrated good performance, achieving over 90% compliance with reassessment requirements.
• The remaining 26 counties fell significantly short of legal requirements.

The State Tax Commission, tasked with oversight and enforcement, has failed in its fundamental duties. During a public hearing in August 2022, a Tax Commission representative admitted that the Wasatch County assessor “did not comply with the law but did better than last year” — as if partial compliance with state law were somehow acceptable. Wasatch County residents elected a new tax assessor in the 2024 elections!

This systematic failure demands immediate reform:

1. The Legislature must actively monitor the Tax Commission’s oversight performance.
2. The Tax Commission needs to integrate the state auditor’s database into its management process.
3. All counties must be required by law to submit annual property tax records.
4. Non-compliant officials must face real consequences including removal from office if necessary.

The current system isn’t just bureaucratic inefficiency — it’s a hidden tax shift that unfairly burdens some property owners while giving others an unearned break. When some property owners pay more than their fair share, it undermines the very principle of equitable taxation enshrined in our state constitution. This problem is particularly critical in years of high inflation, as has occurred in recent years.

The solution isn’t complicated. Salt Lake, Davis and Washington Counties have proven that over 90% compliance is achievable. What’s lacking isn’t capability but accountability. As taxpayers, we deserve a system that fairly distributes the cost of county services across all property owners — not one that creates hidden winners and losers based on which properties an assessor decides to reassess.

The path forward requires transparency, accountability and a commitment to following existing law. Our county services depend on property tax revenue, but that burden must be shared equitably among all property owners. It’s time for Utah to fix its broken property tax assessment system and ensure that everyone pays their fair share — no more, no less.