He has become the face of late-game failure for the Utah Utes, the portrait of panic, and the target for criticism for frustrated fans.

But junior Tyler Kepkay is trying hard to keep his head up.

"It's hard to deal with," he acknowledged, "but it's just like life, I guess. Sometimes, it just doesn't go your way, and you just have to keep fighting and playing. I think I'm in this little . . . I don't know what you want to call it. But once I get through it, I think it will make me that much better."

Heading into tonight's pivotal game at TCU, the 15-10 Utes have lost four close Mountain West Conference games in which Kepkay had the ball for a potential winning or tying shot in the final seconds. Not once has he converted - unless you count the lay-up he made against New Mexico last weekend, when the Utes were trailing by three and wound up losing by one.

"It's my fault," he said at the time.

It all seems impossibly cruel for a player whose ability to score never had been in question. Kepkay led the nation in junior-college scoring at the College of Eastern Utah last season, averaging 29 points per game.

"That's the way it goes sometimes," he said.

Coach Jim Boylen seems to agree.

He has steadfastly defended his starting point guard, saying that he told Kepkay "from day one" that this season would be a "process" - a clear reference to the fact that Kepkay has been learning for the first time to run a team as its starting point guard.

His inexperience frequently has shown, with Kepkay averaging just 8.6 points and shooting an unspectacular 41.6 percent while committing more turnovers (60) than assists (57) and ceding some of his minutes lately to backup Luka Drca. His mismanagement at the end of certain games has hurt the Utes, too.

But Boylen said that while he's disappointed by losing, he's "not discouraged" with Kepkay. "Tyler Kepkay is one of my guys," he said. "He's in my program. And I'm going to support him to the hilt."

Boylen also has tried to deflect criticism of Kepkay by noting other plays earlier in close losses that the Utes failed to make. "Those are just as important," Boylen said.

But Kepkay knows that if he had hit even one of his late-game opportunities - maybe the spot-up three-pointer in a tie game at New Mexico, the one he "really thought" was in? - the perception of him is probably much different.

"Would we still be having this conversation?" he asked.

Amid his frustration, Kepkay is heartened by having read about Michael Jordan saying he missed far more game-winning shots than he made in his illustrious career, and said he won't be shy about taking big shots in the future.

"Somebody's got to take them, and I'm not going to shy away from it," he said. "If I have to shoot every one for the rest of this season, I will. Whether or not I hit them - I hope I do - I'm going to shoot them with confidence that they're going in, and if they don't, then there's nothing you can do about it."

CRUNCH-TIME MISFORTUNE

Utah's Tyler Kepkay has missed four chances at winning or tying league games in the final seconds:

* Brigham Young 55, Utah 52: Trailing by one, airballed a desperation baseline runner with about five seconds left.

* New Mexico 77, Utah 67 (OT): With the game tied, missed a spot-up three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation.

* Wyoming 69, Utah 64: Down three, missed a running three-pointer with about five seconds left.

* New Mexico 72, Utah 71: Trailing by three, drove for a lay-up with about two seconds left. Missed, and hit a put-back as time expired.