After Sunday’s loss in Eugene, the Utes were looking to recapture some momentum back in Salt Lake City against Arizona State. The Sun Devils came into the game on a three-game winning steak. With four games remaining coming into the night, Utah would still have time to move back into favor with the NCAA selection committee. The Utes looked focused from the start, which was a good sign considering the loss on Sunday and the big game coming up on Saturday. Coach Krystkowiak has kept his team focused on the task at hand all year, and tonight was no exception.
The Utes started the game off by scoring the first 8 points. Arizona State couldn’t buy a basket in the early going. With 11:45 left in the first half the Sun Devils were 1-10 from the floor. As the half progressed things just kept getting better for the Utes, and worse for Arizona State. ASU forward Eric Jacobsen picked up 3 quick fouls. That opened up the door for Jakob Poeltl to go crazy. He had 5 blocks to go along with 8 points and 4 rebounds in the first half. Delon Wright showed how versatile he can be by finishing the half with 7 pts, 3 ast, 3 rbs, 3 blks, and 1 steal. Utah finished the half on an 18-0 run over the last 5:00, and a 26-2 run over the last 9 minutes. ASU was 4-26 from the field, totaling 10 turnovers and only 9 points. Utah finished the half with 10 blocks and 6 steals. The Utes shot 62.5% overall, hitting 50% from 3.
Arizona State regained some composure to start the second half. They connected on a midrange jumper that earned the respect of MUSS. But Utah was able to control the scoring explosion. Utah continued to force turnovers. With 10:30 to play Utah had forced 13 turnovers, of which 8 were from steals. Arizona State had a pretty good (comparatively) stretch. They were outscoring the Utes 11-9, but Utah went on a 7-0 run to open up a 37 point lead. At 10:30 they were leading 57-20. Delon Wright picked up a couple more steals and Poeltl increased his block total. Delon finished with 12 pts, 5 rbs, 4 ast, 3 blk, 3 steals. Poeltl finished with 8 pts, 6 blk, 6 rbs. It was a very balanced attack offensively for the Utes. 7 players scored 8 points or more, but the leading scorer (Delon Wright) finished with 12.
This win will go a long way in building Utah’s confidence for the matchup against Arizona. While Krystkowiak has done a good job of keeping his team focused, you can tell these guys have been looking forward to this game for a while. A win on Saturday would be a great win for this team. They have done a good job of winning the games they are supposed to win, but slow starts have prevented them from picking up some massive signature wins. With the strong showing against ASU, Utah will have a lot of momentum against Arizona. The Huntsman Center will be packed on Saturday night when the Utes try to keep their conference title hopes alive.
Postgame Audio
Larry Krystkowiak – https://espn700sports.com/?p=59959
Isaiah & Delon Wright – https://espn700sports.com/?p=59950
