Portland, Ore. • Plenty of Utahns will start the new year searching for some magical potion or concoction to ease the pain from Friday's events.

If you come up with a successful cure, please send it to the Runnin' Utes — they're in some serious hurt.

On a night filled with festivities and fond remembrances, the Utes (7-7) had nothing to celebrate and little they want to remember of the past 12 months as they closed out 2010 with an 88-79 loss here at the Chiles Center to the University of Portland Pilots (12-3) of the West Coast Conference.

The Utes can only hope 2011 is better for them.

Utah, which limped to a 14-17 record in the 2009-10 season, looks like a team on a similar path in 2010-11 as it finished the preseason at .500 and on a four-game losing streak.

The Utes, fresh off an 0-3 showing in the Diamond Head Classic, trailed by 12 early against the Pilots, then led by as much as 11 points before losing in a 3-point shootout.

Will Clyburn led the Utes with 24 points and Chris Kupets had a career-high 20 points. The Utes shot a season-best 11 of 21 from 3-point distance but were nearly matched in that effort by Portland, which was 10 of 20.

Nemanja Mitrovic and Jared Stohl led the Pilots with 21 points each.

In contrast to their tournament performance where they never shot above 40 percent, were 9 of 53 from 3-point distance and averaged 15 turnovers, the Utes were solid in all those categories Friday.

They were 26 of 51 from the field — including the 52.4 percent effort from 3-point land — and committed just 10 turnovers.

However, the result was the same, as the Utes were left once again saying they were getting better, even though the outcomes weren't.

"It stings to lose, but this team is growing, and sometimes that is not recognized in a loss," Utah coach Jim Boylen said. "We looked as good as we have all season offensively, and we shared the ball. We had 13 assists, 10 turnovers, which is what we are looking for, but their ability to shoot the ball was too much for us."

The Utes battled back from a 13-1 deficit behind a 20-point effort by Clyburn in the first half and led by 11 points after a three-pointer by Chris Hines with 16:45 remaining.

The Utes were 5 of 7 on 3-point attempts in the second half, but their sharpshooting was matched by the Pilots, who were 5 of 9 and got some timely putbacks to rally past the Utes.

"We played hard and I thought we had control of the game, but they stung us with some difficult, guarded shots," Boylen said. "We didn't respond well. We have to get tougher down the stretch."

While Boylen was once again left searching for the positives in a negative outcome, Clyburn admitted the losses are getting frustrating, particularly after his hot-then-cold game.

He finished 7-of-13 shooting but was just 1 of 2 in the second half.

"It's discouraging because it's the same thing," he said. "We have to get tougher and get rebounds, and it's the same thing that's happened all year and we still haven't learned from it."

Sounds like the Utes might want to make a New Year's resolution.

lwodraska@sltrib.comTwitter: @lyawodraska —

Storylines

R In short • The Utes drop to .500 despite shooting 51 percent in the game and 11 of 21 from three-point distance.

Key moment • Free throws by Luke Sikma put Portland up 55-53 midway through the second half and the Pilots never trail after.