Arizona State steamrolled by No. 13 Utah: By the Numbers

Feb 27, 2015, 6:07 AM | Updated: 2:04 pm

If one team’s total blocks at the half outnumber another team’s total halftime points, there may be a problem.

If that same latter team also has more first-half turnovers than first-half points, there may be a problem.

And unfortunately, Arizona State was on the receiving side of those blocks — and the giving side of those turnovers — in a dismal 83-41 loss to No. 13 Utah Thursday night.

The Sun Devils (15-13, 7-8 Pac-12), fresh off their third-straight win, opened the first of two road games 0-of-7 in its first six possessions. And Utah (22-5, 12-3), fresh off a frustrating road loss, opened on an 8-0 run that just kept stretching.

Arizona State finished the first half with nine points and 10 turnovers in 29 possessions and shot 4-of-26 from the field. They trailed the Utes — who were runnin’ indeed, off 62 percent shooting — by 32 points.

Utah also blocked 10 of ASU’s shots, tying a season high for a game in the first half alone.

The Sun Devils may have had a chance to save some face in the second half, had Utah not gone on a 17-2 run with just under 10 minutes remaining to bump up the lead to 39 points. ASU didn’t help themselves, either, falling prey to a 3:24 scoring drought at the same time.

Led by Willie Atwood’s 12 points, ASU managed to score 32 second-half points, but was still outplayed by Utah, whose players hit 64 percent of their second-half shots for 42 points and the blowout victory.

What did the loss look like, by the numbers?

21

ASU’s 14 turnovers led to 21 Utah points. Ten of these turnovers occurred in 29 first-half possessions.

11

Ten of Utah’s season-high 11 total blocks came in the first half alone.

14-50

The Sun Devils connected on just 14-of-50 attempts from the field.

They shot 15 percent in the first half as opposed to Utah’s 63 percent, and only pulled that number up to 28 percent by the time the final buzzer sounded.