This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Eugene, Ore. • It's the drawback to being a draw: Where No. 9 Utah goes, so do the other team's fans.
It also didn't hurt Oregon's attendance that they trotted out the Pac-12 Championship, Rose Bowl and Heisman trophies for fans to pose with before the game - at one point the line wound its way through Oregon's practice gym and the length of the concourse.
Or that Oregon's football team was honored at halftime.
Or that ticket prices were reduced to $15.
Or that it was Senior Night for Joseph Young, the Pac-12's leading scorer.
But still, many of the season-high 10,725 came to see if Oregon might beat a top-10 team, and they liked the answer they got.
"I feel like every home game's a great atmosphere, but this one was special," said senior guard Jalil Abdul-Bassit. "Especially on Senior Night, it was very amazing."
The buzz seemed to propel them toward their 69-58 upset - particularly after freshman Dillon Brooks exploited a gaping hole in the paint and dunked over Jordan Loveridge with 2:44 remaining, flashing a wide smile.
"They just played harder than us," said Utah junior Brandon Taylor, who entered the game leading the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting at 54 percent but hit just 2-of-10.
Utah missed 21 of 29 3-pointers, and with each, an opportunity to quiet the rabble at the $200 million-plus MKA, which had drawn just 48 percent of its 12,364 capacity this season.
Earlier you might've heard a pin drop with many still in line to see the football team's hardware, but after Brooks' slam, a piano might've crashed into the hardwood unnoticed.
As the clock wound down, the P.A. announcer implored the crowd to stay in its seats for a ceremony to honor the seniors, but that was in vain.
The student section rushed the floor and Oregon's players - including Young and Abdul-Bassit - held court in the center circle.
The celebrations could still be heard while Utah's players, most wearing headphones, slumped off to the bus.
Foul frustrations
Starting center Jakob Poeltl played just 21 minutes Sunday, including just four in the first half after drawing two early fouls.
One call, Krystkowiak said, was called for. The other was not, he felt, but "that's not the reason we lost."
Still, Krystkowiak said it's been "a little bit of a theme" for Utah's bigs to pick up early fouls.
And while it's correctable, Krystkowiak said - and again, not the reason Utah lost - he'd like to see the rules change to allow six fouls per player, as is the limit in the NBA.
"Five is not enough," he said. "To me, you need that sixth foul. Give them three each half. This is about putting the best players on the floor and giving them a chance. Even if it is two fouls, I don't think that's grounds to have a kid sit out a third of a game, because we can't afford to have him get his third foul.
"But that's another topic."
Notes
Dakarai Tucker hit three straight free throws for 20 straight on the season. … Jeremy Olsen finished 2-for-2 and has not missed a shot from the field since Jan. 25, going 6-for-6 for 13 points in 36 minutes. … Utah's season scoring average fell from 74.3 to 72.6 in just four days. … Utah had 10 offensive rebounds to Oregon's 11, but managed just five second-chance points to Oregon's 15. … Brekkott Chapman hopped into the tunnel with an apparent groin injury but rejoined the team on the bench and appeared fine afterward. … Utah continued its trend of holding Pac-12 opponents and scorers to below their season average. Oregon came in averaging 76.7, and Young, who finished with 14, entered the game averaging a Pac-12-high 20.0.
Twitter: @matthew_piper