Arizona State Basketball beats Utah Tech

Arizona State Men’s Basketball moved their record to 2-0 with a 81-66 win over Utah Tech on Sunday afternoon.

The Sun Devils used a controlled offense to dispense of the Trailblazers. The frontline for the Sun Devils was the story. This front line of Massamba Diop, Santiago Trouet, and Allen Mukeba were active and dominating on both ends of the floor for the Sun Devils. The other part of this win was the active bench for Arizona State. ASU had a 25-8 advantage in bench points during the game. The Sun Devils held the Trailblazers to 40% from the field and held them to 30% from beyond the arc.

Getting a couple of victories to begin the season and gain some momentum is so important for Arizona State as they have a Friday night date with perennial power Gonzaga. Taking on the Bulldogs will test a Sun Devil team that is almost entirely new. There is only one returning scholarship player from last season, so chemistry for this Sun Devil team is important. Gonzaga is the best team in the WAC Conference and has started off in typical fashion.

Sun Devil First Half

From the beginning of the game it was apparent that the Sun Devils versatility was going to be a huge advantage for them. Massamba Diop, a true freshmen, who is still learning the game, got his game going with a couple of early three point shots. At 7’1″ it was a bit of shock to see him put up the three point shots, but as head coach Bobby Hurley explained, “It was a pleasant surprise”. Diop finished the first half with 12 points in the first half. Fellow Sun Devil forward, Allen Mukeba, finished the first half with eight points of his own.

The Sun Devils went into halftime with a 39-25 lead.

Sun Devil Second Half

For the most part, Arizona State put themselves in cruise control for most of the second half against Utah Tech. The Sun Devils never let the Trailblazers mount any sort of comeback in the second half. Utah Tech got within 75-65 with about five minutes left in the game. However, Arizona State closed out the Trailblazers and look forward to their big game with the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Friday night at 9pm MST.

Michael J. Wilson-The Daily Waiver

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