This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There was the wide-open lay-up for Jason Washburn. He appeared to be bumped with no whistle forthcoming. Mark Lyons took the loose ball, raced the other way, scored and was fouled.
That sequence for all purposes ended any chance of Utah upsetting Arizona on Sunday. The Utes went down 56-51 and never drew even again.
There was the no-call on Jarred DuBois after he induced Solomon Hill with a pump fake. DuBois leaned into the Arizona small forward, but got a no-call. That ended a chance for a pair of free-throws that could've drawn Utah closer.
Utes fans point to those two calls as turning points. This blog agrees - halfway.
Washburn was definitely fouled. But Utah's defensive balance on that play was flawed, which led to Lyons being able to make a huge play.
DuBois wasn't fouled. Replays show Hill jumped straight into the air, while DuBois created contact. You can't reward that with foul shots.
Utah fans haven't been happy with the officiating in a few games. This blog agrees they have a point. But Utah is tied for 10th in the Pac-12, and calls don't generally come for teams in those positions.
Still, the Utes have improved. And they will get better. Perhaps the perception of their place in the league will improve as well.
Tony Jones