Arizona State Withstands Late Utah Run, Secures Key Big 12 Win

The Sun Devils won their 12th game of the season in a game that was won by a dominant first-half performance.

Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) blocks the shot of Utah Utes guard Don McHenry (3) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (12-11, 3-7 Big 12) secured a key victory over the Utah Utes (9-13, 1-8) on Wednesday night by a score of 71-63 in the first of two games on the current road trip.

The Sun Devils went into the come coming off of a pair of competitive losses to UCF and Arizona, while Utah fell to Oklahoma State by a score of 81-69 last Saturday.

Arizona State was dealt a blow shortly prior to opening tip, as starting forward Santiago Trouet was ruled out, while key rotation forward Allen Mukeba was categorized as a game-time decision.

First Half

The Sun Devils entered the game with Mukeba eventually being cleared to play - the graduate student forward was part of the starting lineup as well.

Arizona State jumped out to a 9-5 lead at the under-16 timeout behind two three-point knockdowns from star point guard Moe Odum, which served as an encouraging start to a must-win battle.

Sixth-man Anthony "Pig" Johnson pitched in seven points off the bench before the under-12 timeout took place - Arizona State held a 22-14 advantage at the 11 minute mark.

The Sun Devils' defense stood tall in the ensuing minutes, as they held Utah without a field got for seven full minutes. The team eventually took a convincing 41-25 advantage into halftime.

Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts after a play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Second Half

Utah started off half two with a quick 5-0 run, although Arizona State did respond with a two-point jumper by Bryce Ford to re-up the lead to 13.

Utah brought the Arizona State advantage down to below 10 points on different occasions, although the Arizona State lead remained stable for the most part.

The lead began to show cracks over the final two minutes, as the Sun Devils went from up by 10 to four in just over a minute of action.

Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) goes to the basket against Utah Utes guard Obomate Abbey (21) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Odum delivered late with a clutch floater to bring the Arizona State lead back up to 67-61 - the Sun Devils failed to waver over the final 1:20 of action following the made shot and were able to come out on top.

Key Performances

• Anthony "Pig" Johnson - 14 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST

• Moe Odum - 13 PTS, 3 AST, 3 STL

• Noah Meeusen - 9 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST

• Massamba Diop - 15 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK

What's Next

Arizona State is set to conclude the road trip on Saturday against the Colorado Buffaloes, then returns home next Tuesday against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Maurice Odum (5) goes to the basket against Utah Utes forward James Okonkwo (32) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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