Lockett returns, Sun Devils beat Utah

TEMPE — The Lowdown: Trent Lockett returned from a 6-
game absence, and made his presence felt for Arizona State in a 57-52
win over the Utah Utes at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.

Lockett, who suffered a severe ankle injury in a win against Oregon State
on January 14, played 36 minutes, and scored 12 points while grabbing
6 rebounds.

The Sun Devils led by 14 points with 6:26 to go after a runner by Chanse
Creekmur. But the Utes fought back, and after a three-pointer by
Kareem Storey with :47 left, the ASU lead was trimmed to two points.

Arizona State hit three of four free throws in the game’s final 11 seconds
to seal the win and snap a 2-game losing streak.

When it was over: When Carrick Felix hit two free throws with
:11 to go to give the Devils a 4-point cushion.

Who stepped up?: Several Sun Devils could land on this list,
but we’ll include three. First, Lockett, for making his presence felt
despite having rust from his layoff.

Secondly, Felix, who led ASU with 15 points and 8 rebounds. And lastly,
sophomore big man Jordan Bachynski, who recorded his first collegiate
double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Bachynski also
contributed on defense by tying a career-high with 4 blocked shots.

Stat of the Game: The Sun Devils won despite committing 20
turnovers — a statistic that head coach Herb Sendek labeled “amazing”
after the game. Fortunately for ASU, Utah was unable to capitalize on
their generosity, turning the 20 turnovers into just 10 points.

They said it: “One of my favorite ideas from Gandhi is ‘you
can’t do one thing in your life without having affect another.’ Just like
basketball, you can’t play hard on the defensive end without it affecting
the offensive end, and I really feel like that’s how we played as a team.” –
ASU center Jordan Bachynski, who possibly became the first player in
college basketball history to have a double-double and then drop a
Gandhi quote on the media on the same night.

What it means: With the win, the Sun Devils improve their
record to 8-16 overall and 4-8 in the Pac-12. Utah falls to 5-19 and 2-
10 in conference play in their first season in the Pac-12. It also means
that Arizona State was able to avenge one of their uglier losses of the
year — a 64-43 debacle in Salt Lake City three weeks ago.

What’s Next: The Sun Devils will have a chance to avenge
another embarrassing loss when they host Colorado (16-8, 8-4)
Saturday afternoon in Tempe.

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