Ute basketball: Runnin' Utes rally but come up short against No. 9 Arizona (+video)

Arizona shot 50 percent from the field, making 11 of 22 shots including five 3-pointers. Utah, meanwhile, struggled with its shooting in the opening half. The Utes missed 17 of their 27 attempts (37 percent) and were outscored 6-0 in second-chance opportunities.

“There’s a reason they’re at the top of the league,” Krystkowiak said. “We’re not going to hold everybody under 40 percent. We had a combination of some breakdowns and they have good players that can make some shots.”

Utah now faces a three-game road trip. The Utes take on Colorado Thursday before heading to California and Stanford the following week. Then they’ll close out the regular season with home games against Oregon State (March 7) and Oregon (March 9). The Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas begins March 13.

“I think our guys are going to keep their spirits up and we’re going to keep piling through this thing — three on the road, two at home — and then lay it on the line in Las Vegas,” Krystkowiak said. “So we're just kind of continuing to build.”

Krystkowiak acknowledged that the close loss was frustrating. He noted that it would have been a big win.

“Like a lot of times this year, it’s been kind of that fine line coming down to a few little things,” Krystkowiak said.

EXTRA STUFF: Announced attendance for Utah’s second-ever Sunday home game was 11,712. The crowd included former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. ... It was “Salute America Day” with military personnel and first responders being honored. ... Arizona has seven straight wins over Utah. The Utes, however, lead the all-time series 28-25.

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