“Those days are nice, just to start preparing yourself, your team, thinking a lot about your team and getting ready for the games coming up, specifically Oklahoma State,” Utah coach Craig Smith told reporters Thursday, a day before the Utes flew out to Stillwater, Oklahoma, for their next contest.

Oklahoma State quickly jumped out to a 9-1 lead to open the game — maximizing on Utah turnovers and a soft perimeter defense — and never relinquished the lead as the Cowboys went on to win 81-72 in a wire-to-wire performance.