One by one, Utah’s Utes walked off their floor on Thursday night, having done their battling, but also having been bruised and beaten.
The final numbers on the board rested at 94-82. The final numbers on the boards were much worse, finding no rest at 46-23.
“I’m not into moral victories,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said afterward. But then he added, “I’ll give our team a lot of credit for battling back.”
The Utes weren’t just playing for themselves. They were playing for a bunch of people, playing for the rest of the conference. They had to beat the Wildcats.