At Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, the game’s noise briefly gave way to a different kind of tension when Noah Meeusen took an elbow from Utah’s Terrence Brown near his eye area and headed straight for the locker room. Bobby Hurley said afterward that a few stitches were enough for Meeusen to be ready to return if the game situation demanded it, but Arizona State’s grip on a 73-60 win over Utah meant it never did.
What happened in the Arizona State win over Utah?
Arizona State men’s basketball used two key runs and strong half-court defense to grind out a 73-60 win on Saturday for its sixth conference win of the year. The early minutes belonged to Utah, which jumped in front 7-5 after four minutes and then surged again with a seven-point burst to make it 14-5. But Arizona State answered with a 13-5 response, trimming the gap to one point and setting the tone for a game that would increasingly be dictated by defense and shot selection.
With 9: 19 left in the first half, Utah scored to make it 21-18. Then the offense stalled. Utah did not score for more than eight minutes, and Arizona State closed the half on a decisive push, taking a 34-24 lead into the break. The shutdown stretch featured steals from Maurice Odum, Pig Johnson and Meeusen, and it ended with Arizona State shooting 54. 5% from distance in the half.
Utah made another run after halftime. Arizona State held a 13-point lead with 16 minutes left—tied for its largest at that point—before Utah chipped away with four unanswered buckets to pull within four. But a 3-pointer from Johnson ended the lull, and his steal set up a Bryce Ford 3 that stretched the lead back to double digits. Utah again cut it to a six-point margin with seven minutes left, only for Arizona State to respond with nine straight points for its largest lead of the day, 68-53 with 3: 52 remaining. Two dunks by Massamba Diop highlighted that spurt, and Diop later added a 3 on Arizona State’s final possession.
How did Arizona State’s defense and shooting shape the outcome?
Utah coach Alex Jensen described a breakdown in execution on the other side of Arizona State’s defense. “The problem was when we passed it. (It was) one of our worst pass games of the year, ” Jensen said in a postgame interview on 700 AM. He added, “It was discouraging because I think it was one of our more selfish games of the year… You got to use your teammates and if you want to be good, whether it’s individually, you need your teammates, and I thought we did a poor job of passing. I think we tried too hard to do it on our own and score. ”
In the first half, Utah’s long drought coincided with Arizona State’s 16-3 run over nine minutes to end the half. Utah also had a three-minute scoreless stretch in the second half that helped Arizona State turn a 59-53 margin into a 68-53 separation with 3: 52 to play. The numbers reflected the difference: Utah shot 39% for the game and 34. 5% in the first half, while Arizona State shot 49. 1% overall and 53. 8% in the second half, making 9 of 17 3-pointers.
Maurice Odum led four Sun Devils in double figures with 15 points, plus four assists, a block and a steal. For Utah, Keanu Dawes scored 16 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Don McHenry hit four 3-pointers on his way to 14 points. Utah’s leading scorer, Terrence Brown, started quickly—four points, two rebounds and an assist in the first three minutes—but picked up his second foul with 16: 55 left before halftime and finished with eight points on 4 of 12 shooting, plus five rebounds and two assists.
What did Bobby Hurley say about injuries, availability, and what comes next?
After the game, Bobby Hurley highlighted a theme that can get lost in the run-and-response rhythm of conference play: who is able to stay on the floor, or at least stay ready. Hurley said Meeusen could have returned if it became necessary after receiving stitches, but the situation never called for it.
Hurley also said that Odum played through a mid-foot sprain and expressed appreciation that both Odum and Allen Mukeba—who was a game-time decision with an ankle issue—“gutted it out. ” Hurley framed it as a contrast in team identity and durability, saying, “I’ve had some teams that if guys have had their injuries, they might be out for six to eight weeks. ”
Arizona State is set to end its regular season with No. 14 Kansas on Tuesday for senior night at Desert Financial Arena, followed by a road trip to No. 4 Iowa State to finish things off on March 7. In the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s win, the most vivid scene wasn’t a drawn-up play but a player walking off, getting treated, and remaining available—an emblem of the kind of night Arizona State turned into control.
Image caption (alt text): Bobby Hurley speaks postgame after Arizona State’s 73-60 win over Utah at Desert Financial Arena.
