(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
Arizona State entered Salt Lake City having won four of its last five games. On the other side, No. 13 Utah was coming off a disappointing loss to Oregon.
Needless to say, none of that mattered as Utah demolished ASU, 83-41.
The Runnin’ Utes came out determined on both ends of the floor, but particularly on defense.
In the first half, Utah held ASU to a season-low nine first half points on 4-for-26 (15.4 percent) shooting. Utah actually accumulated more blocks ASU turned the ball over more times (10) in the first half than the Sun Devils scored in that same timeframe. The Sun Devils would finish the game having shot 28 percent and having committed 14 turnovers.
Only junior guard Gerry Blakes and junior forward Willie Atwood racked up double-digit points, scoring 12 points each.
Meanwhile, Utah was having its way on offense for the majority of the game, shooting 63.3 percent from the field and committing just nine turnovers.
Utah senior guard Delon Wright led the charge for the inspired Utes, fillling the box score with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals.
Player of the Game: N/A
Realistically, every player on ASU struggled. Senior forward Bo Barnes showed good effort on the offensive glass, and Willie Atwood took advantage of extended playing time, but overall, there were few positives to take away from this game.
Stat of the Night: 11 blocks
As mentioned earlier, Utah succeeded mightily protecting its own rim. Freshman center Jakob Poeltl led the way with six rejections, and the lenghty Utes bothered the Sun Devils on offense throughout the game.
Biggest Concern: Momentum
ASU was riding high, winning seven of its last 10 games, but tonight was a reality check if the team ever needed one. With three games remaining on the schedule, ASU must perform lightyears ahead of what occurred in Salt Lake City if it wants to make a respectable run in the Pac-12 Tournament.
What’s Next?
The Sun Devils travel to Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
