Perhaps fittingly, in the last game of the first half of Big 12 Conference play, Utah coach Craig Smith faced off against another head coach getting his first taste of Big 12 action this season. Steve Lutz and the Oklahoma State Cowboys got the better of Smith and the Runnin’ Utes on Saturday afternoon,

Utah’s offensive struggles were a major factor in the loss. It shot 40% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. The Runnin' Utes were also outrebounded 33-30 by the Cowboys. The loss now puts Utah’s Big 12 record at 4-6 and 12-9 overall.

The Utah Utes (12-8, 4-5 Big 12) head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-10, 2-7 Big 12) at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tip

Utah is in the middle of the Big 12 grind — the Runnin’ Utes will reach the league schedule’s midpoint Saturday at Oklahoma State — but this week, there was a day of respite. The Utes, after playing three games in six days,

While Utah (12-9, 4-6 Big 12) attempted several times to cut into Oklahoma State's lead, the Cowboys had an answer for every Utes run. An 8-0 run in the first half by Utah was then cut short by several turnovers, and was then compounded by several fouls to send the home team to the free-throw line.

The Utah Utes (11-8, 3-5 Big 12) return home looking to bounce back from a tough stretch as they prepare to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-7, 2-6 Big 12) in a pivotal Big 12 matchup on Tuesday night.

The Oklahoma State men's basketball team is set to host Utah on Saturday afternoon, but must overcome turnover issues that doomed it last week