Utah News

Well, never mind about that.

After a promising stretch of wins and a tightly contested loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Vegas Golden Knights suffered a heavy setback on Thursday night, falling 4-0 to the Utah Mammoth. The defeat marked Vegas’ second consecutive shutout loss and the third this month, highlighting ongoing challenges both offensively and defensively.

Vegas goaltender Adin Hill was given a sixth consecutive start by head coach Bruce Cassidy, adding to a heavy workload accumulated over the past week. The decision, aimed at maintaining consistency in net, proved costly. Utah struck early, scoring three goals on three shots within the first eight minutes, putting the Golden Knights in a significant deficit that persisted for most of the game.

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The first two goals were partly the result of defensive lapses, including leaving Clayton Keller unmarked, while the third highlighted Hill’s positioning, as he was unable to react quickly enough to a high-percentage scoring chance.

Hill was replaced following the third goal, with backup Akira Schmid stepping in. The early concession of goals underscored the need for a reliable goaltending tandem in Vegas. With Carter Hart reportedly nearing a return from injury, competition for the starting role could intensify in the coming weeks, though Hart’s injury history raises questions about his long-term availability.

Offensively, the Golden Knights were unable to generate consistent pressure against Utah. While expected goals models, such as Moneypuck, suggested over four scoring chances, the team struggled to convert zone entries into meaningful opportunities. Many shot attempts were blocked or misfired, and high-danger scoring chances were rare.

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The power play, limited to just two opportunities, failed to make an impact, while the penalty kill remained a positive element, successfully neutralizing all Utah advantages with disciplined execution. Vegas also registered a few unlucky bounces, including shots off the post, further limiting offensive production.

The loss extends Vegas’ recent record to seven wins in the last 22 games, highlighting the team’s inconsistency. Since January 19, the Golden Knights are 0-12-1 when allowing the first goal, emphasizing the importance of strong starts and reliable goaltending. With playoff positioning still in contention, the team must address the defensive lapses and offensive inefficiencies exposed against Utah while managing the workload for Hill and Hart moving forward.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It was an eventful day for Utah football as the Utes held both their pro day and first practice of spring camp.

The Utes have never had two first rounders in the same draft class. That could change on April 23rd with offensive linemen Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu.

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“I mean, that’s awesome! You know, that doesn’t happen a lot where two bookend tackles get drafted in the first round,” said Lomu. “It’s cool that our entire offensive line is also getting drafted, all five of us are declaring for the draft, which is friken amazing.”

“It’s so cool. Yeah, I mean, like, we metat first at that USC game, the one where Cam had the two-point conversion to win the game,” said Fano. “So that’s where we kind of met and ever since then, he’s been one of my best friends. So, to be able to go through all of this with him has been awesome.”

Morgan Scalley named new Utah head football coach

“Just to learn off each other throughout this past couple of years. It’s just been awesome now that we’re in this position to both get drafted,” said Lomu.

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While some chapters close as Utes others begin anew, the Morgan Scalley era officially kicking off this afternoon as Utah football started spring camp.

“He’s just a winner, man. He really will do whatever it takes to win,” said junior safety Jackson Bennee. “He definitely leads by example and I look up to coach Scalley a lot.”

“The energy! It’s all energy. And that’s one thing I really love about Scalley, because that’s how I am, to bring energy every day, to be consistent, to want the best out of the team,” said Senior quarterback Devon Dampier. “He’s doing a great job so far.”

From Scalley’s point of view day one as the man in charge was….

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“Boring,” said Scalley with a smile. “No, I mean, I don’t get to teach as much. I’m not a position coach. So, I try as much as I can to get out there and teach what I can teach.”

“My role is different. Still have the same energy, the same passion. But I don’t have a position group,” said Scalley.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.

More trouble may be coming down the pike for Taylor Frankie Paul … we’re told Utah prosecutors are looking into whether the recent allegations of assaulting ex Dakota Mortensen constitute a violation of her ongoing probation from her separate case in 2023.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill tells TMZ … “We have received the police report for the new allegations, and it is our understanding the case is being screened by the Draper City prosecutor. We requested the police report so our prosecutors could evaluate how those new allegations may affect the case for which the defendant is currently on probation.”

TMZ first reported that Dakota claimed Taylor got physical with him, allegedly choking him and ripping his necklace from his neck. We’ve confirmed police were called over the incident, and a report was filed.

While the allegations would be bad for anyone, the implications are even worse for Taylor as she is still on probation until August of this year. She’s still serving 3 years of probation from her 2023 case after pleading guilty to aggravated assault. The incident was captured in video TMZ posted Thursday.

ANAHEIM — With just four of their remaining 14 games slated against presently playoff-bound clubs, the Ducks head to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth, one of the tougher opponents on their remaining schedule.

The Ducks were one click ahead of the rest of the Pacific Division after picking up a point despite a lackluster effort against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday (despite his goal and assist, former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier has yet to beat Philly in four tries). Utah was five points clear of a wild-card spot in the more competitive Central Division.

For the Ducks (37-28-4, 78 points), their last playoff appearance came in 2018. Meanwhile, the Mammoth (35-27-6, 76 points) just arrived in Utah last season from Arizona, where their prior existence as the Coyotes saw them miss every traditional NHL postseason since 2012, when they lost to the Kings in the conference finals.

“They’ve had a heck of a year. They’re kind of in the same boat organizationally and traditionally in the last number of years, with a lot of young prospects that are turning the corner. They’ve put themselves in a playoff spot now,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said.

It will be a rubber match between two up-and-comers. The Ducks won the first meeting on Nov. 17 after Troy Terry’s goal with five seconds left in regulation sent them to overtime for Olen Zellweger’s game-winner. The second showdown was the Ducks’ most lopsided loss of the year, a 7-0 trampling on Dec. 3.

“We kicked them pretty good in one game and they gave us more than our share when they got us in their turn here,” Quenneville added. “Expect a hard, hard game.”

The Flyers gave the Ducks an arduous task as well, playing with active sticks, tight gaps and few options to connect on long passes or otherwise generate rush chances. Quenneville asserted that most games down the home stretch would be similarly contested.

That will be a test of mettle for the Ducks, who on one hand are in the top five in points percentage since snapping their nine-game losing streak, but on the other have by far the worst goal differential of those five franchises. The Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Dallas Stars all have differentials of +20 or better in that span, while the Ducks are barely in the black at +3.

Utah, which placed 10th in that stretch, has a +14 mark in that stretch to bring it to +23 on the year. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, who recently signed an eight-year contract extension worth $64 million, pace the Mammoth in scoring while Dylan Guenther leads them in goals and Mikhail Sergachev is tops in defensive scoring.

DUCKS AT MAMMOTH

When: Friday, 7 p.m. PT

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

How to watch: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)

How To Watch:

Friday, March 20

Utah State vs. Villanova (4:10 p.m. EST) | Coverage: TBS

Location: San Diego, Calif.

FanDuel Odds:

Utah State vs. Villanova

Betting Line: Utah State -1.5 (-102)

Moneyline: Utah State -126, UCLA +105

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O/U: 146.5 (-115)

(Check out FanDuel Sportsbook here. Odds and lines are subject to change)

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Mountain West stamped just one bid into the NCAA Tournament. That team? Utah State, who took home the Mountain West’s regular season title and tournament title for the second — and final — time in program history.

Utah State was the best team all season. It parlayed a strong regular season finale against New Mexico into a dominant tournament. They bested UNLV by 20 points, Nevada by 14 and San Diego State by 11 in the title game, — even though the Aggies essentially had an at-large bid locked up for weeks. At the very least, they’re now making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance over the last eight years.

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And Kevin Willard’s squad presents no easy task. Led by freshman Acaden Lewis and Tyler Perkins, the Wildcats opened the season 12-2 — despite an opening night loss to BYU and a MTE loss to Michigan — ultimately finishing 27-8 in a weaker Big East, where it placed third. Though Villanova got bounced in the first round by No. 10 Georgetown, 78-64, which was shocking.

Lewis and Perkins are the two names to keep an eye on for Villanova. Lewis averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 assists on 46.4 percent shooting, albeit with poor 3-point and free-throw shooting splits. Perkins topped the team in scoring at 13.7 points on 44.2/36.6/73.9 shooting splits, adding 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals a night.

Duke Brennan presents a lot of size in the middle, although Villanova doesn’t have a ton of size elsewhere, which could benefit Utah State.

The Aggies are led by the Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev, in addition to MJ Collins, who led the team in scoring and 3-point shooting. Drake Allen was also one of the conference’s top playmakers, dishing out 4.7 dimes, while Adlan Elamin, Garry Clark and Karson Templin, the MW Sixth Man of the Year, was impactful off the bench.

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Keys To Victory:

Speed Villanova Up: Villanova doesn’t play with great pace. We saw the Aggies speed teams up in the MW Tournament with its shape-shifting matchup zone defensively. If it can do the same and present different looks, it could luck into a few more turnovers which, in turn, can speed Villanova up.

Attack Offensive Glass: Villanova’s a poor defensive rebounding team and isn’t large. USU, on the other hand, is a good-not-great offensive rebounding team. Rebounds win championships in this sport — especially in March. Find a way to acquire any extra bites possible.

Must Continue To Execute Late: Guard play wins. Utah State has two excellent guards in Falslev and Collins — who are better than Villanova’s crop. And their ability to execute late in games has been critical to the team’s success. At this time of year, that must continue.

Prediction: Utah State 73, Villanova 69

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s first book, “Off Ramp: How to be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt,” will be available on Sep. 8.

The release comes just before the one year anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.

The apparently politically motivated murder was one of the most high profile and publicly viewed killings in American history.

It also thrust Utah’s governor — who had spent years warning against violent polarization — into the national spotlight.

At the time, Cox said he hoped the tragedy would be “a catalyst to help us find that off ramp that we desperately need.”

Now the governor is presenting a road map.

The book is billed as a “practical guide to depolarization,” centered around Cox’s well-known slogan of “disagree better.”

As chair of the National Governors Association, Cox led the initiative to model healthy dialogue between opposing parties.

He debuted a Disagree Better nonprofit in the aftermath of Kirk’s death, convening depolarization groups from across the country.

Around the time he launched “Disagree Better” in 2023, Cox began working on a book, he revealed at a November press conference.

“It’s about where we are as a country and just my concerns around the polarization that we’ve been seeing,” he said.

When asked whether the book deal with Penguin Press foreshadowed a presidential run, Cox insisted, “This is not that.”

“I have no interest in running for president,” Cox said. “This is just something that is just so important to me.”

“It’s something I believe in.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are truly an epiphany in basketball. Before tonight the Wolves had lost four of their last six games. Despite being one of the most marketable and successful teams in their history, the regular season has always seemed like a red herring for what they actually are.

Case in point them being 12th in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating and 11th in net rating.

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Utah on the other hand, seem like they’re always a Will Hardy temper tantrum away from a blowout win against any opponent. There was no sarcasm in that sentence — Utah always happens to find themselves in a close finish against their opponents during this post-ASG period.

But alas, the Jazz were all business tonight for Tanking and Co™. A calm and orthodox 147-111 loss was what Jazz fans were treated to on the last leg of their West Coast road trip. Wolves had a grip on Utah all game, a combination of turnovers, poor interior defense and an Ayo Dosunmu takeover all played a part.

With only a single glance at the injury report, the Jazz were ready to make their report in Minnesota just for league formalities. There was no intention to play the game of basketball.

Minus Anthony Edwards with right knee inflammation, the Wolves were in full-force in their push over the 5th-seeded Nuggets to battle it out in an excruciatingly difficult matchup against the powerhouse Jazz. There was intention to play the game of basketball.

Utah came out the gates with the hot-hand; every Jazz fan across the glove pinched the bridge of their nose as they were probably expecting Utah to fight tooth and nail for an agonizing and close loss. Perfectly normal for the Jazz to knock down 3-4 of their three-pointers in the first two minutes. Also completely normal for the Wolves to shoot 4-5 from the field in that same period.

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Hardy has his business outfit on. No intentions of losing this one, using the services of Kevin Love and John Konchar — don’t worry Svi, you’ll get to play someday.

It was all Wolves from that point on. Minnesota went on a 20-5 run between the 3:02 and 6:38 mark in the first quarter, led by Julius Randle’s 16 points and 4 steals at the half. Old friend Rudy Gobert poured in 12 points and 11 rebounds on a perfect 6-6 from the field.

They held a 26-7 advantage in fastbreak points despite the Jazz not having that far of a disadvantage in fastbreak possessions. Wolves generated 8 steals while committing 9 turnovers, while Utah collected 10 turnovers.

On the brighter side of the St. Paddy’s Day rainbow, it was none other than ‘Ice Brice’ Sensabaugh record 23 points and 3 boards on 10-17 shooting on a chilling 35 degree day in Minneapolis. Ace Bailey scored 12 on 4-7 three-point shooting.

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The Timberwolves then took away our small pot of gold; a further 21-9 run in the third quarter was enough to put the cork back on the lid. They shot 80% from the floor during that period whilst hitting 4 triples. Gobert scored seven points, Utah recorded an additional four turnovers, totalling to 18 turnovers for the Jazz through three quarters.

On yet another 11-3 run by Minnesota in the final frame, Ayo Dosunmu scored or assisted in 8 points as Utah turned it over three times. And right on cue, it was none other than Jinglin’ Joe Ingles to make an appearance on the basketball court once the Jazz were down by 38. Hold up, and he had back-to-back buckets? Well, that makes this night just a tad more bearable, as if it were bearable at all beforehand.

I will say this, if there was a listing of players who could break the absurd 83-point night by ███ ███████, I’d guarantee Brice isn’t too far down the list. When he has the hot hand, everything is going down in flames. The former Buckeye recorded his second 40+ point performance this season, finishing with 41 points, 4 boards on 17-31 shooting.

Hardy had high praise for Ace Bailey before tonight, calling him “incredibly unselfish. For somebody that was as highly touted as he was… He doesn’t carry himself where he thinks he’s not getting enough…”

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And tonight he responded with calm 17 points, 2 boards and 2 assists on 6-13 shooting. Nothing too flashy, but he’s dialled in his three-point shooting compared to how he fared earlier in the season. Over the last five games, he’s shot 20-42 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.

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Utah is back home on their turf in Salt Lake City to welcome the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night, March 19th, at 5 PM MST.

Taylor Frankie Paul, the Utah reality star slated to be ABC’s upcoming “Bachelorette,” addressed reports Wednesday of an alleged domestic abuse incident involving her former boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

Paul built a career as a leading influencer in the viral #MomTok community on TikTok, a group of Utah women who share clips of their lives online.

She has also starred in four seasons of the Hulu reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” filmed in Utah, which has chronicled her on-again, off-again relationship with Mortensen.

“It’s been a heavy time to see the headlines,” Paul said on “Good Morning America” ahead of “The Bachelorette” premiere on Sunday. “It’s supposed to be a really exciting time.”

“I’m a person that will always speak my truth. That’s what I’m known for. So when the time is right, I will be,” she added. “But right now (I’m) just trying to be in the present moment … but the thing is my kids do come first.”

Paul is a mother of three and shares one child, Ever, with Mortensen.

A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to People that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, and that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The police spokesperson also said that “contact was made with involved parties on (Feb.) 24th and 25th.”

In response to questions about the investigation, the police told ABC News, ”The Draper Police Department respects the rights and privacy of all citizens. Without an immediate impact to public safety, it is the practice of the department not to release details related to active investigations.”

The ongoing investigation has put filming for the fifth season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” on hold and will remain paused for the foreseeable future.

Paul told “Good Morning America” it was “hard to say” what her future on the reality series will look like.

“It’s hard to see past this, I’m not going to lie. In this moment, it’s just so heavy,” she continued. “When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it’s like the end of the world. That’s what it feels like.”

A representative for Mortensen, Paul’s ex-boyfriend who is also involved in the domestic abuse allegations, responded to reports of the ongoing investigation on Wednesday.

“His No. 1 priority here is protecting (their 2-year-old son), Ever,” his representative shared in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor. It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well.”

Paul was charged in 2023 with aggravated assault and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child.

In February 2023, Herriman, Utah, police responded to a call to Paul’s home on a report of domestic violence. According to charging documents, Paul and her then-boyfriend, Mortensen, were arguing when she threw her phone, a wooden play set and metal barstools at him.

One of the barstools she threw created a hole in the wall and another struck her 5-year-old daughter, who was seated next to Mortensen on the couch.

Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in exchange for the dismissal of her domestic violence charges.

Where: Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA)

When: Friday, March 20 at 4:10 PM EST

How to Watch: TNT

FanDuel Betting Odds: Villanova +1.5 (subject to change)

NET Rankings: Villanova 35, Utah State 26

KenPom: Villanova 33, Utah State 30

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Torvik: Villanova 36, Utah State 29

About the Aggies: Utah State was selected to finish second in the Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll, but finished in sole possession of first at 28-6 (15-5). The Aggies then defeated San Diego State, who finished in second and was picked first in the preseason, 73-62 in the conference championship.

Leading the Aggies is Jerrod Calhoun, the recently-named Mountain West Coach of the Year. The 44-year-old is in his second year in Logan after a seven-year stint at Youngstown State. Calhoun is arguably the hottest name in the couching carousel, with rumors of him being the new Cincinnati coach once this tournament run is done.

Sitting at the top of the scouting report is Mason Falslev, who was named Mountain West Player of the Year. The 6’4” junior was also named to the All-Mountain West First Team and All-Defensive Team. Falslev has spent his entire career with the Aggies, despite being guaranteed to have plenty of interest elsewhere. Falslev averages 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals on 51.9% from the floor and 41.7% from three-point range.

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Falslev’s running mate is MJ Collins Jr., who leads the team in scoring at 17.6 points per contest. The senior transfer from Vanderbilt shoots an efficient 49.5% from the floor and 37.2% from deep. The 6’4” guard was selected as part of the All-Mountain West Second team. Collins Jr. and Falslev are the only two Aggies who average in double figures.

Coming in at third in scoring at 9.3 points per game is the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year, Karson Templin. The 6’9” junior forward shoots 53.9% from the field and 36.5% from three. Templin is part of a four-man frontcourt rotation with freshman Adlan Elamin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer Garry Clark and Utah transfer Zach Keller.

The last of the rotation players is starting guard Drake Allen, who scored 13 points in the championship against the Aztecs on 5/10 from the floor. The 6’5” senior is capable of scoring from the perimeter, but is only shooting 31.4% from deep on the year. Allen leads the team in assists at 4.7 per contest.

The Aggies are a highly-efficient offensive team, ranking 38th in the nation in points per game and 14th in field goal percentage. Utah State is also 48th in three-point percentage, 17th in assists and 20th in assist/turnover ratio.

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Villanova’s keys to victory:

1. Slow down Collins Jr. and Falslev: Easier said than done, of course. Collins Jr. comes from Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt, so you know he won’t be intimidated playing against a school like Villanova. Falslev (along with Templin and Allen) played in the 7/10 game against UCLA last year, with Falslev scoring a team-high 17 points on 6/17 from the floor. This time around should be more comfortable for the Mountain West Player of the Year. Look for Tyler Perkins to match up with Falslev, hopefully using his strength as an advantage. The duo averages 33.5 points per game. I would think the sweet spot would be 30 or below.

2. Do not play at the Aggies’ tempo: Utah State averages 83 points per game, whereas Villanova averages 77.6. The Wildcats are 22-5 on the season when holding the opponents to below 80, and 2-3 when the giving up 80 or more. As the adage says, it’s easier to slow the game down than to speed it up. While Utah State is only 173rd in adjusted tempo according to Torvik, Villanova is 306th. Slow the game down, use your strength to your advantage.

3. Go inside: This is not a game where the Wildcats’ lack of size should be as problematic. Duke Brennan should be able to have his way with whoever is put on him, both with and without the ball. And while Templin and Elamin have a height advantage on Malachi Palmer and Perkins, they don’t have a strength advantage. Kevin Willard talked about using both Brennan and Pierce together at the watch party on Sunday, but has since indicated he won’t be doing that in this one. Attack the rim, crash the boards and draw fouls (also please hit your freebies at the line).

Prediction: Most of the analysts and money seems to be on Utah State, and it’s understandable why. Villanova hasn’t beaten any at-large teams besides Wisconsin. Utah State is coming off of a conference championship, while the last image of the Wildcats was arguably the worst performance of the season against Georgetown. That said, this team hasn’t lost back-to-back games all season and will also be the best team that the Aggies have played all year. Give me Duke Brennan, Tyler Perkins and Devin Askew in a big moment (and hopefully, Acaden Lewis’ arrival to the bright lights). Villanova advances for an all-Wildcat match-up on Sunday in San Diego.