Arizona State Sun Devils Lay Egg In 86-63 Loss to Utah
Feb 23, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Herb Sendek watches the action during the first half against the Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
SALT LAKE CITY — It seems so long ago that the Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Arizona Wildcats. The team we saw Sunday night in Utah looked nothing like that one, as they slept through their second straight loss, this time by a score of 86-63 to the Utah Utes.
Arizona State (19-8, 8-6) trailed 51-26 at halftime and never really made it a game, shooting just 30.8 percent. Shaquielle McKissic led the Sun Devils with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, but he was the only starter to reach double figures. Bo Barnes scored 11 with seven rebounds and two steals while Egor Koulechov scored 11 with eight rebounds off the bench.
The usual stars were absent, as leading scorer Jahii Carson had a horrid game, going just 3-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from the foul line. He ended with just eight points, four assists and two steals. Backcourt mate Jermaine Marshall wasn’t better, as he went 3-for-10, including 1-for-7 from the 3-point line, scoring just seven points.
After their signature win at home against the Wildcats, the Sun Devils have gone into coast mode. If they lose out, they’re not going to make the NCAA tournament. With games left against Stanford, Cal, at Oregon and at Oregon State, the Devils had better get their act together or it’s going to be the NIT for them.
Utah (18-9, 7-8) shot 53.8 percent as a team, led by Delon Wright‘s 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks. Wright shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and was 8-for-10 from the foul line. Jordan Loveridge added 18 and Renan Lenz came off the bench to score 14.
Sun Devils by the Numbers
- The Sun Devils shot just 30.8 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from the 3-point line.
- Egor Koulechov hadn’t played more than four minutes in any of the previous eight games.
- Four different starters ended up with four fouls.
Sun Devil Stud
Shaquielle McKissic did everything he could to not only keep the Sun Devils in the game early, but get them back into the game in the second half. He scored 16 to lead the team, with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Sun Devil Dud
We’re giving this award to the three players who are expected to carry this team — Jordan Bachynski, Jermaine Marshall and Jahii Carson. They ALL laid eggs, combining to go 7-for-29 for 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. That’s just not enough.
Coming Up
The Sun Devils play host to the Stanford Cardinal on Wednesday, February 26 from Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona.