Dec. 29—When Washington State flips on the game tape of its Pac-12 Conference opener, a 80-58 loss to Utah Friday evening in Salt Lake City, the Cougars will have a few things to be proud of.

They rebounded well. They overcame an early deficit and multiple players scored .

They lost the game, though, because they allowed the Utes to get hot from beyond the arc in the second half. Utah sank seven 3-pointers in the second half, including four in a key 16-2 run, turning a close contest into a shooting exhibition that Washington State couldn't match.

"They got on top of us and we just didn't have a good response at all," WSU coach Kyle Smith said. "We didn't have anything, and you gotta make shots on the road."

WSU (9-3, 0-1 Pac-12), which overcame a slow start to draw within two at halftime, couldn't overcome Utah's long-range shooting. Utah guard Gabe Madsen hit four 3-pointers and totaled 20 points, and 7-footer Branden Carlson added three 3-pointers, which allowed the Utes to take a double-digit lead in the second half.

In previous games this season, perhaps the Cougars could have battled back. Utah ranks first nationwide in average height, coming in at 6-7 1/2 , a measure of length and shot-blocking that stymied WSU's approach on offense.

Washington State has fashioned itself a big team, too, checking in at No. 7 in the country in height at 6-7. That's what made this matchup so interesting: Which team could leverage its size better?

Those honors went to Utah, which imposed its will around the basket.

WSU forward Isaac Jones scored 12 points, but he needed 16 shots. On several occasions, he had his shot blocked underneath, unable to navigate the long arms of Carlson, Keba Keita and 7-1 center Lawson Lovering, a trio that combined for eight blocks. The Cougars shot just 31% from the floor.

"Obviously, Isaac struggled to finish over Carlson," Smith said. "We're gonna run him more guys like that, and he's more than capable. But I thought Isaac competed hard, actually. He's gonna have to adjust."

Outside of a promising 9-2 run early in the second half, a stretch that included a putback slam from Jones and a wing 3-pointer from guard Kymany Houinsou, WSU's offense never quite got going. Leading perimeter scorer Myles Rice scored seven points on 14 shots, misfiring on all four 3s he tried, and wing Andrej Jakimovski couldn't shake his slump, scoring five points on seven shots.

Jakimovski has made six of his past 26 3-point attempts, a 23% effort that covers his past six games. He knocked down 35% of his 3-point attempts last season. He's a capable shooter, but his percentage has dropped sharply this season.