Sun Devils dominate in Salt Lake City notching its first Big 12 road victory of the year

The talent has been on display; the nation’s most dominant team, No.1 Arizona, has steamrolled through its schedule thus far, boasting a flawless record into the waning stages of the regular season. Just three times this season did the Wildcats enter the second half tied or trailing. 

Once against Alabama and twice against Arizona State. 

Despite falling toward the bottom of the Big 12 standings, the Sun Devils (12-11, 3-7 Big 12) have shown talent and flashed the signs of a formidbale program, on a Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, they put all the pieces together to defeat Utah (9-13, 1-9) 71-63 en route to a convincing road win. 

Here are the takeaways 

A First Half to Remember 

ASU put together its best first-half display in the history of its short tenure in the Big 12, leading by 16 points at the break. The lopsided margin at the break was courtesy of nine Utah turnovers that allowed the Sun Devils to score in transition and attack mismatches. 

They generated these turnovers through active hands and forcing Utah to play on the perimeter. Due to a heap of injuries, Hurley was forced to use a 2-3 zone, which pushed the starting backcourt of senior Moe Odum and junior Bryce Ford to pick up from the 3-point line. 

While attempting to break down the zone defense, the Utes struggled consistently, turning the ball over as many times at it made field goals. They would shoot just 9-of-27 from the field, and when ASU gets a chance to up the tempo on offense, it works out well. 

Despite having just four fast break points in the first half, the Sun Devils got into their sets quickly and shared the wealth without a second thought. All seven players scored at least one field goal in the half, and the team had nine assists on 16 made field goals to shoot 51.6% from the floor and 36.4% from beyond the arc. 

High-octane first-half performances are nothing new for Hurley’s side, as previously stated in two matchups with the nation’s best, ASU either led or was tied at the break but went on to lose both contests. Second-half mishaps have come back to bite against Central Florida, and it almost came to fruition again on Wednesday. 

Nervous late-game execution

Just last Tuesday, the previous time ASU was on the road, against the Goldenknights Hurley’s team led by a dozen with just about six minutes to play in the game. What transpired in the closing minutes of action was a 21-6 run for UCF, and the host stole the game in the final moments. 

For a moment on Wednesday, that same script appeared likely to transpire, with 2 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, junior forward Seydou Traore knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the Sun Devils lead to just six points. ASU called a timeout, and the final two minutes of the game hung in the balance.  

Out of the timeout, senior guard Moe Odum converted a floater after the action led to plenty of room for him in the lane, senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson snatched the ball from the grasp of Utah’s Terrence Brown, and the game was practically over from then on as a contest.  

Odum spoke following ASU’s loss to Arizona last Saturday on the issue of closing games, and for the first time in multiple games, the Sun Devils executed for a 40-minute stretch, leading to their success. 

The tale of the Utes Backcourt 

It’s no secret Utah has struggled for any semblance of success this season; however, its backcourt duo of Brown and 5th-year guard Dom McHenry has led the way offensively, heading into Wednesday, the duo combined for a 40 ppg average. 

Brown, a former Fareligh Dickinson knight, is a boneifed scorer. Ahead of Wednesday’s clash, Brown ranked 8th in the nation in ppg, averaging 22.1 a night. Despite his 6-foot-3 frame, the shifty guard gets to the basket with ease and draws a lot of fouls. Brown averages seven attempted free throws a game. 

Most of his damage, however, comes against man coverage, and the Sun Devils’ zone never allowed Brown to get in rhythm. Hurley’s defense sent two defenders his way often, allowing other players to beat them if they were capable. Brown shot just 2-of-16 from the field and finished the game with six points and five turnovers, his worst offensive game of the year. 

His partner in crime, McHenry, stepped up to nullify Brown’s dissimilar showing. At just 6-foot-2, McHenry is a lefty guard who caused plenty of problems for ASU. He scored a game-high 23 points, knocking down four 3-pointers in the process. 

McHenry’s production was timely throughout the game. Due to the pressure being put on Brown, he was able to flourish with the ball in his hands, despite consistently scoring over 15 points. Brown hadn’t scored 20-points in nearly a month. 

Backcourt Bromance off the Bench

The Sun Devils’ backcourt productivity on offense has largely come from Odum; after all, he leads the team in points and assists per game. Wednesday night proved, however, that the success of their season comes down to the play of x-factors at the guard position. 

Sophomore Noah Meeusen and Johnson were the only players to come off the bench for ASU against Utah, and the pair not only played their part but improved the team’s play so much that they both closed the game. 

It was Meeusen’s pair of free throws with under 20 seconds to play that sealed the deal, and Johnson’s steal on Brown that put ASU over the hump with under a minute left. Their impact was felt not just in the final moments but for a full 40 minutes. 

Johnson finished the night with 14 points and six rebounds, and Meeusen finished with nine while getting to the basket and knocking down all three of his free throws. 

The pair combined for a plus/minus of 29 while none of the starters had a plus/minus of four or more. Meeusen and Johnson were integral to the Sun Devils’ win, and their play was so successful that Ford played just 15 minutes, finishing with four points.

The Litmus test 10 games into Big 12 Play

Through 10 games in conference play, no team has felt the impact of the gauntlet more than ASU, having played four times against AP top-10 teams in the country, three of which were on the road. When not facing one of the elite sides in college basketball, I’ll Hurley’s program is 3-3. 

The final eight games of regular-season play for the Sun Devils include matchups against just three AP top-25 programs, and the other five games are against teams in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings, including another game against Utah in Tempe. 

Saturday’s road test against Colorado is a game that ASU fans wwill havecircled for a long time. The Buffs are tied with ASU in conference play, and they’ll be coming off a 19-point defeat they suffered on Wednesday to a lackluster Baylor team.