Arizona State basketball's effort more than enough vs last-place Utah
· Yahoo Sports
The Arizona State Sun Devils had a chance to get well against the worst team in the Big 12. They did just that, surging past Utah 73-60 in Big 12 play Saturday, Feb. 28, at Desert Financial Arena.
ASU (15-14, 6-10) got off to a bit of slow start, spotting the visitors a 14-5 lead five minutes into the game, but crept back and took their first lead at 23-21 on a 3-pointer by Bryce Ford with 6:13 left in the first half.
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The Sun Devils led, 43-30, four minutes into the second half, but Utah (10-19, 2-14) closed the gap to 43-39.
Anthony "Pig" Johnson hit a 3-pointer and came up with a steal at the other end of the floor, and ASU converted with Ford hitting another 3-pointer to stake the lead back to double digits at 49-39. The Sun Devils were in control the rest of the way.
ASU shot 49.1% (27-for-55) with an impressive 9-for-17 from long distance. Four players finished in double figures, led by Moe Odum with 15 points and four assists. Massamba Diop added 14 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Johnson had 13 while Santiago Trouet had 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for his fifth double-double of the season.
What went right
Avoided foul trouble: Coach Bobby Hurley is down to a rotation of eight players, and many of those are playing hurt, so this is always going to be a focal point. Johnson was the only player who had more than one foul, and he never did pick up a third. ASU was called for just six personal fouls the entire game. Utah had just 13 personal fouls and that's a big reason there were just 21 free throws attempted between the two teams. Like the first time the teams played, ASU played a zone, which was another factor in limiting the fouls.
Limited the turnovers: The Sun Devils had a season-low five turnovers and Johnson had three of those. Utah had only eight, and ASU finished with a 12-8 advantage in points off turnovers. ASU had 24 in the two games they lost on the road last week.
Played a smart last few minutes: The Sun Devils have had a knack for squandering leads but didn't allow Utah to make a run. They were up 62-53 with 5:44 left and raced up the floor after Utah missed a 3-pointer. Johnson likes to play full throttle all the time, but instead of going to the basket, pulled the ball back out and ran more time off the clock, the possession ending with a bucket by Diop. It was the same on the next possession, with Johnson draining a layup at the end of the shot clock.
Guys played through injuries: Hurley said Odum injured his foot in the last game and didn't practice much since then. Allen Mukeba also didn't practice much. Trouet has sprained both ankles, and Ford is back after missing some time with injuries. Hurley credited his players for their tenacity.
Limited Utah standout: The Utes' Terrence Brown came in averaging 20 points per game but was held to eight on a 4-for-12 showing from the field. He picked up two quick fouls that slowed him. He had just six points the first time the teams played.
What went wrong
Missed layups: It's one things to misfire from long distance. It's another to miss point-blank shots. The Sun Devils missed eight layups, five chip shots in a first half that ended with ASU up by 10, 34-24. Trouet had three point-blank misses but was at least able to get the rebound of each miss.
Personnel notes
Mukeba was a game-time decision after getting injured in ASU's last game against TCU. He played 14 minutes off the bench, coming into the game for the first time with 14:15 left in the first half and finishing with six points and two rebounds. ... The starting lineup was Odum, Diop, Grbovic, Trouet and Meeusen. It was the third time Hurley has used that starting five, all coming in the past three games.
They said it
ASU coach Bobby Hurley: "I've just got to compliment Allen Mukeba and Moe Odum. I've had some teams that if guys had injuries, they might have been out six to eight weeks. A testament to the character of those two. Allen had an ankle injury in the TCU game, and Moe came up with a foot sprain. Neither guy practiced the last two days, especially Moe. There was no hesitation when I said, 'How are you feeling? Do you think you might want to heal up before we get to Kansas?' There was not a chance in the world he wasn't going to play. Allen, the same thing. Very thankful to have those two in the program."
Santiago Trouet on the selfless nature of the team: "We always stay together. We don't care who starts, who is on the bench. If one day he wants to put me on the bench, I'll come off the bench. Allen (Mukeba) has the same mindset. As long as we win, we win."
Moe Odum on playing injured: I don't count that as being dinged up. If I can walk, I can run. If I can run, I can definitely play, so I'm not worried about too much, baby injuries or whatever."
Up next
The Sun Devils will play their last home game of the season Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. at Desert Financial Arena. The opponent will be No. 14 Kansas (21-8, 11-5), which lost Feb. 28, to No. 2 Arizona, 84-61, at McKale Center.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Solid team effort boosts ASU basketball past Utah