The Utah Runnin' Utes edged out a thrilling overtime victory against in-state rival BYU, 73-72, on Saturday night, led by Ezra Ausar’s career-high 26 points

Utah wasn’t about to let BYU push the Runnin’ Utes around on their home court. Thanks to an attack-the-paint mentality headlined by a phenomenal night from Ezra Ausar and a wild finish that included an unforgettable overtime session,

Utah forward Ezra Ausar scored a career-high 26 and guard Hunter Erickson scored six points in overtime to lead the Utes to a 73-72 victory over rival BYU on Saturday night. The Utes improved to 11-6 and 3-3 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cougars dropped to 11-6, 2-4.

A couple of top 25 teams are facing off on Friday, Jan. 17 when the No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs host the No. 23 Utah Utes in a women’s college basketball game at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Both BYU and Utah have some "traitors" on their rosters, as Cougars coach Kevin Young said. That will only make Saturday's rivalry game that much more interesting.

BYU does have an advantage in scoring differential at 14.1 points per game to Utah’s 10.7 and rebound differential at 10.3 to Utah’s 5.1 per game. The Cougars lead the league in this category. BYU hasn’t fared well on the road with a blowout loss to Houston, a spanking at Providence and a late-game collapse at TCU last week.

Stepping onto the Huntsman Center floor Saturday night was equivalent to stepping into the ring of a WWE title bout. Or so it felt.

Utah and BYU will play in a matchup of Big 12 opponents. The teams square off Saturday for the first time this season.

The Utes fell behind by 21 at halftime and rallied in the second half, but couldn’t overcome the Horned Frogs’ star power.

Ezra Ausar scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Hunter Erickson scored Utah's last six points to help the Runnin' Utes beat BYU 73-72 in overtime.

For the fourth time this season, BYU lost a close game in the final seconds, losing 73-72 in overtime to the rival Utes.