TEMPE, Ariz. - In the opening minutes of the second contest of the season between Arizona State and Utah on Saturday, Feb. 28, junior guard Bryce Ford and the Sun Devils came out flat.

In contrast, the last-place Utes jumped out of the blocks hot on Saturday, building an early 14-5 lead and sucking the energy out of Desert Financial Arena in a flash.

Despite the slow start, Ford and ASU remained composed.

“I wasn’t really worried,” Ford said. “We went into the media timeout, got things right, and then we came back and threw one of our punches.”

The punches thrown by the Sun Devils proved to be enough on Saturday, as ASU (15-14, 6-10 Big 12) quickly erased the deficit and never looked back, taking down Utah (10-19, 2-14 Big 12) 73-60 and handing the Utes their tenth loss in 11 games.

It was a cast of characters, coming from both the starting five and the bench, that lifted the Sun Devils to a victory on Saturday. 

Senior guard Moe Odum led four ASU players in double figures, pouring in 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including a 3-for-5 mark from three-point land.

Odum, along with graduate forward Allen Mukeba, dealt with lingering injuries from the Sun Devils’ most recent game at TCU all week. However, both head coach Bobby Hurley and Odum knew the veteran point guard would find a way to hit the court on Saturday.

“There was no hesitation when I said, ‘How are you feeling?’” Hurley said. “There was not a chance in the world the way that kid looked before the game.”

Odum echoed this sentiment.

“I wouldn’t even count that as being banged up,” Odum said. “I’m alright.”

Mukeba also played through his injury and contributed to the ASU win, going a flawless 3-for-3 from the field and netting six points off the bench.

Freshman center Massamba Diop closely followed Odum, finishing with 14 points and four blocks.

Odum and Diop collaborated on the two-man game numerous times on Saturday, as Utah struggled to cover the pair on pick-and-roll action. Odum is thankful he gets the chance to play that game with a talented player like Diop night in and night out.

“It’s super fun,” Odum said. “I got so many different options with Massamba … he’s got crazy upside.”

Senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson came off the bench and added 13 points of his own, good for his seventh straight outing with 10-plus points.

Johnson, alongside Ford and Mukeba, combined for 27 bench points on Saturday. In contrast, the Utes only banked 14 points from their reserves.

Finally, sophomore forward Santiago Trouet picked up his fifth double-double of the season, pairing 12 points with 10 rebounds and a season-high three swats. 

Hurley shifted the Sun Devils to a zone defense early and often in the win, resulting in the Saturday block party for the ASU frontcourt. While the defensive change improved Trouet’s stat line, it also gave Trouet a chance to catch his breath.

“I like to play zone a little bit,” Trouet said. “It gives me a little break on defense.”

On the other side, Utah head coach Alex Jensen wished the Utes attacked the Sun Devils’ zone differently.

“It’s a great lesson of learning to do it without dribbling,” Jensen said. “When we passed the ball and changed sides of the floor, I think we found success.”

As a unit, the Sun Devils took advantage of their chances the whole way through. ASU shot 49% on the day and 53% (9-for-17) from long range while only turning the ball over five times.

Saturday’s contest appeared vastly different from Hurley and the Sun Devils’ most recent game, a 90-78 loss to TCU on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

“This game was night and day compared to our TCU game,” Hurley said. “This game couldn’t have been any more different.”

Now, ASU shifts its focus to the final game of the season at Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday, Mar. 3, against No. 14 Kansas. Currently sitting at 21-8, the Jayhawks are led by freshman guard Darryn Peterson, a consensus top-three pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

For Odum and the Sun Devils, an upset win on Senior Day will come down to execution similar to Saturday’s victory.

“If we just follow the scout and watch our games that we played really great, such as a game like this … I feel like we should have some wins rolling.”