On senior night Saturday in Desert Financial Arena, the ASU men's basketball team rallied to defeat Utah 67-59 behind a 12-2 run in the last two minutes. Utah entered the night just one game ahead of ASU in Pac-12 standings.
"I thought it was a gutsy win," said Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley after the game. "Very happy for the seniors. They've been great to me, great to the program."
The Devils opened on a 7-0 run two minutes into the game behind midrange jump shots from senior guards Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Luther Muhammad. Luther made his first start of the season, scoring four points in the first half.
After ASU's early run, the team went cold, missing the next five shots, but its defense remained strong enough to maintain a slight lead. ASU held Utah to 37% shooting in the first half, which is a low number, but failed to shoot better than that, finishing the half at 34%.
Cambridge Jr. got open looks from the 3-point range in the first half, but couldn't find it again outside of the midrange jumper he opened the game with.
Around the eight-minute mark, Utah's freshman guard Wilguens Jr. Exacte knocked down a 3-pointer that gave the Utes the lead. Utah held the lead behind senior center Branden Carlson's reliable half, scoring nine points on 4-8 shooting. Utah led 26-25 in a low-scoring first half.
The second half resembled a heavyweight fight, the two teams expending whatever energy they had left in an attempt to deliver the final blow. ASU and Utah struggled to find offensive consistency throughout the night, and the second half saw both squads trade baskets. The Devils tied the game nine times.
Coach Hurley ordered a full-court press that caused significant issues for Utah's offense and brought the Sun Devil crowd into a frenzy. Utah turned the ball over 17 times.
"We got the stops we needed. The one negative, we didn't really rebound great, as far as giving up too many offensive rebounds. But our field goal percentage defense was where we needed," Hurley said.
Multiple Sun Devils had their fingerprints on the win against the Utes, but none more than Cambridge Jr. and senior center transfer Warren Washington. Washington was an unstoppable force in the second half as he torched Utah, scoring 18 points, 14 of them in the second half.
"I felt like we got in rhythm," Washington said. "I felt like we were getting good shots the whole game, but in the second half, I feel like shots were falling for the most part."
Cambridge Jr. awoke from his first-half shooting slump and scored 13 second-half points, hitting multiple clutch jumpers. With less than a minute remaining, up one point, Cambridge Jr.'s brother, senior guard Devan Cambridge, knocked down a dagger 3-pointer in the corner to put the game out of reach for Utah.
"I'm happy we made that happen on senior night," Cambridge said. "We had to come out today and handle business. I think everybody wanted to win. Everybody made that statement in our last home game."
READ MORE: Men's basketball offense goes cold late in 67-59 loss to Colorado
The ASU men's basketball teams' tournament hopes are still alive, but the task ahead is daunting. Next for ASU is the first game in a three-game season-ending road trip, as the Sun Devils look to avenge their early season loss to Arizona away at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Tipoff is at noon MST.
"I feel like we're road warriors, and we can take care of business on the road," Washington said. "So I'm excited. These three games are going to be fun, and buckle up, cause it's definitely going to be a ride."
Edited by Piper Hansen.
Reach the reporter at asmit263@asu.edu and follow @AlfredS_III on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
