Droughts Define Utah’s Road Setback Against Arizona State
Feb 28, 2026, 3:57 PM
Feb 28, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Tempe, Ariz. — In the desert, you can survive the heat. You can’t survive scoring droughts though. Utah learned that the hard way Saturday afternoon against Arizona State in Tempe.
The Utes built an early cushion, showed flashes of rhythm, and even trimmed the deficit to two possessions late. But in between those moments? Long, punishing stretches where the offense simply evaporated. Empty trips. Contested jumpers. Missed opportunities.
After falling behind early, ASU built separation in the first half and held off a late Utah surge to secure the home victory.
Final from Desert Financial Field
Utah – 60
Arizona State – 73— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) February 28, 2026
The Sun Devils shot 49.1% from the field (27-of-55) and an elite 52.9% from three (9-of-17), pulling away in the second half for a 73–60 win at Desert Financial Arena.
Utah shot just 39.0% (23-of-59) and couldn’t overcome Arizona State’s interior scoring edge (36–26 in the paint) or the Devils’ 13-0 run that flipped early momentum.
Utah’s promising start, faded quickly
Utah opened with confidence. Keanu Dawes scored 11 early points, and the Utes built a 9-point first-half lead at the 15:03 mark.
Dawes even threw down a massive dunk over Massamba Diop and it seemed Utah had a different vibe. The ball was moving. The defense was active. Arizona State looked unsettled.
But after the first media timeout, Arizona State settled in and started to turn the game in their favor. ASU ripped off a 13-0 run, fueled by Maurice Odum’s perimeter shooting and Massamba Diop stretching the floor from the five spot. Odum finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, while Diop added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Arizona State went into halftime up 34–24, shooting 45% from the field and 55% from three in the first half. Meanwhile, Utah ended the opening 20 minutes converting just 34% from the floor.
Second Half: Utah Pushes, ASU Answers
Utah was better offensively after the break. The Utes shot 43% in the second half and 50% from three (5-of-10). Don McHenry led Utah with 14 points (4-of-9 from three). Keanu Dawes finished with a team-high 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
After the Sun Devils pushed the lead out to 11, the Utes went on a quick 7-0 run where Lucas Langarita scored or assisted on all seven points.
A transition trey from @DonMcHenry4 makes it a 9-0 Utah run and forces an ASU timeout!
📺@TNTSportsUS/@truTV #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/VOn6MrLr3t
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) February 28, 2026
Utah later cut the deficit back down to six at 57–51 with 7:54 remaining. And then Arizona State slammed the door.
The Sun Devils scored on eight of their next nine possessions, highlighted by two Diop dunks and interior finishes from Anthony Johnson (13 points) and Santiago Trouet (12 points, 10 rebounds).
Arizona State shot 54% in the second half and generated 22 paint points after halftime. Utah simply couldn’t string together enough stops.
Utah’s Scoring Droughts
Utah’s offense didn’t just cool off — it stalled at the worst possible moments.
In the first half, after building a 14–5 lead at the 15:03 mark, the Utes went through a prolonged dry spell that allowed Arizona State to seize control. Over the final 5:00 of the half, Utah managed just one field goal — a Don McHenry three at the 1:11 mark — while ASU closed on a 13–3 surge to take a 34–24 halftime lead.
Utah shot just 34% in the first half and scored only 10 points over the final 10 minutes.
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Field Goal %: ASU 49.1% | Utah 39.0%
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3PT %: ASU 52.9% | Utah 36.4%
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Paint Points: ASU 36 | Utah 26
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Bench Points: ASU 27 | Utah 14
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Per Possession Efficiency: ASU 1.304 | Utah 1.017
The second half featured a similar pattern. After cutting the deficit to six at 57–51 with 7:54 remaining, Utah’s offense unraveled again. The Utes missed seven of their next eight shots during a decisive stretch where Arizona State pushed the margin to 15.
During that span, Utah failed to score for more than three minutes while ASU scored on eight of nine possessions, effectively ending the game.
Utah had enough shot-making to hang around — 50% from three in the second half — but the empty possessions in those critical stretches proved too costly.
Balanced Attack Lifts Sun Devils
Arizona State built a big lead early, going up by as much as 18 in the first half thanks to efficient scoring and Utah’s sluggish start. Utah trimmed the margin in the second half with a series of timely buckets, but ASU answered each push with its own run and strong free-throw shooting down the stretch. Arizona State didn’t rely on a single scorer — it was a team effort.
- Massamba Diop led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds, finishing with a strong presence inside and on the glass.
- Anthony Johnson chipped in 14 points and hit a majority of his free throws, adding stability to the ASU offense.
- Maurice Odum scored 13 points and helped manage the offense throughout, maintaining pace and creating looks for others.
Ultimately, Utah couldn’t erase the early deficit, while ASU’s depth and poise in the final minutes kept the Utes at bay. The Sun Devils’ ability to hit free throws — going a combined 22-of-25 from the stripe — proved decisive in key stretches.
The Bottom Line
Arizona State’s combination of early aggression and late composure proved enough to fend off a hard-charging Utah team in a 71-63 victory.
The Sun Devils built an 18-point lead in the first half by pounding the paint, controlling the glass, and converting consistently from the free throw line — all the things that had been analytical edges on paper coming into the game. ASU’s balanced scoring, led by Massamba Diop’s 15 points and eight rebounds, kept Utah from ever grabbing full control despite the Utes trimming the margin in the second half.
For Utah, this was a disappointing showing, particularly against the zone defense that gave them so much trouble in the previous matchup. The Utes shot just 39% from the floor in the second half but closed within a couple of possessions late, however, they couldn’t sustain the offensive rhythm long enough or force enough stops to flip the result.
Turnovers and an inability to stem ASU’s second-chance points in the early going created too large a hole to climb out of, and the Sun Devils’ free-throw poise down the stretch kept the door closed on Utah’s comeback bid.
