Looking to gain some ground in the conference, the Devils will welcome the Utah Utes to Tempe.
Both teams met up a few weeks ago, with ASU (15-4, 3-4) escaping with an 80-77 win. Shannon Evans led the way, as he finished the game with 22 points, also knocking down five 3’s. Kodi Justice added 20 of his own as well. Evans was the only one feeling it from deep, as the team was 8-24 (33%) from beyond the arc. What helped the Devils earn the win was their ability to turn 12 Utes turnovers into 18 points.
After dropping four straight games, Utah has bounced back with back-to-back wins over the Washington schools. Justin Bibbins has been the best player for Utah all season, but his last two games were some of his best. Against Washington, the guard poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. In the win against Washington State, he added 13 points, as well as dishing out 12 assists.
For the Devils, they’ve been on a trend the last six games. In the W/L column, it looks something like this: L/W/L/W/L/W
Hopefully for ASU, they can put an end to that trend and create a two-game winning streak. They’re coming off an 81-73 win against Cal. Prior to the game, coach Bobby Hurley switched things up, starting Vitaliy Shibel in place of Mickey Mitchell.
“I think Vitaliy was accustomed to starting,” Hurley said. “I thought that he might play a little better in that role. I knew Mickey would produce coming off the bench.” The Devils are still undefeated this season in games where Shibel starts. Mitchell, though, was the best player to suit up for ASU. The transfer finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in only 25 minutes of play. Hurley mentioned that this isn’t something permanent, and he’s going to play it game-by-game.
On the night, the Sun Devils had 41 points from their bench. Remy Martin, who time and time again provides a spark off the bench, played 18 electrifying minutes. “Remy’s fearless,” coach Hurley said about the guard. “He’s one of those guys that just thinks he’s the best player on the court, no matter who’s out there.” The freshman finished with 13 points, and knocked down both of his 3’s.
Tra Holder still couldn’t get things going. He had 13 points, but was 4-for-11 from the field.
After a road-heavy start to conference play, ASU will host seven of the final 11 games at Wells Fargo Arena. Tonight’s game is at 7:30 p.m. MST and can be seen on the Pac-12 Network.
