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Provo • Just prior to tipoff, Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak emerged through the tunnel and stood along the sideline, resplendent in his red jacket.
The Utes possessed the edge in both style and substance Wednesday night, when BYU and Utah staged their annual basketball rivalry game at the Marriott Center.
Krystkowiak followed his mild jab at the Cougars with a bold fashion statement that topped BYU's light-blue uniforms, a throwback to the Danny Ainge era.
The Utes delivered a 65-61 victory in a game that showcased the traditional elements of an in-state battle.
Whatever was missing in artistry was replaced by all-out intensity. "The rivalry means a lot to a lot of people," Krystkowiak said, and this was good stuff, in a frenzied environment.
How loud was it?
The home crowd probably gave Utah a basket in the first half, when the buzzer signaling a shot-clock violation could not be heard amid the noise.
How competitive was it? BYU center Nate Austin injured his hamstring, just loosening up as he walked toward midcourt for the opening tip. Austin unsuccessfully tried to get the officials to delay the start, then played through the first possession before being replaced.
After that weird beginning, the teams locked themselves into a back-and-forth battle. The Utes held a 13-point lead midway through the first half. BYU answered with a 14-0 run. Utah produced 10 straight points early in the second half, and never lost its lead.
That's "a stretch where we're normally pretty good, coming out of the locker room, [but] we had a hard time getting shots," said BYU coach Dave Rose, who described his offense as "a little scattered."
The Utes get much of the credit for BYU's 36.9-percent shooting. Their defense, rebounding and aggressiveness made the difference, with Delon Wright's 18 points and 11 rebounds headlining the winning performance.
Last week, Krystkowiak playfully labeled BYU "half" of an elite team, as he surveyed Utah's tough stretch of the schedule. He later endorsed his own commentary as healthy "gamesmanship and fun."
As the coaches met in the postgame handshake line, Krystkowiak told Rose he meant nothing disparaging by his comments. Rose nodded and replied, "I know."
And it's basically true: BYU guards Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth are top-tier players. They teamed for 40 points and Anson Winder contributed 10 in a late flurry, but the rest of the Cougars just couldn't provide enough help, especially without Austin. Then again, the No. 13 Utes were missing forward Jordan Loveridge.
Both teams took their share of wild shots in the first half. If there are varying degrees of airballs, some of those misses were among the worst you'll see. But then the Cougars seemingly were inspired by a female student's half-court shot that earned her $5,000.
Haws and Collinsworth combined for three 3-pointers in a burst that came after Wright's steal of an in-bounds pass helped Utah scored five points in three seconds, preceding a drought.
The Utes have been known to wobble toward the finish line.
In this case, they were happy to have the first half end. They regrouped at halftime, buckled down on defense and made Haws work for his 23 points.
Krystkowiak's strategy was to give him different looks and send different bodies at him, and the tactics worked.
Haws finished with 9-of-22 shooting, making him 14 of 43 against Utah in the last three meetings.
BYU managed to win in Provo in his sophomore season, but this was another story.
The Cougars' throwback uniforms couldn't deliver any magical comeback, or overcome Krystkowiak's approach to the rivalry, orally and sartorially.
Twitter: @tribkurt