SALT LAKE CITY — In a dynamic performance at their home court, the Utah Utes outperformed Arizona State with a dominating second half, securing a 99-73 victory on Saturday. This marked the first win under the guidance of interim coach Josh Eilert. Eilert stepped into the role after the school parted ways with Craig Smith earlier in the week, marking the second consecutive season he has concluded in an interim position, as he did for West Virginia the previous year.
At halftime, Arizona State was in a narrow lead at 43-41, largely thanks to Joson Sanon’s remarkable shooting performance. Sanon, a freshman, was particularly impressive from beyond the arc, making four of his five three-point attempts en route to scoring 20 points. Despite the strong start by Arizona State, Utah quickly regained momentum. Alston Mason briefly put the Sun Devils ahead again at 52-51 early in the second half. However, with Ezra Ausar’s contribution from the free-throw line and subsequent plays by Utah players Keanu Dawes and Gabe Madsen, the Utes surged ahead and maintained their lead.
Ausar, a key player for Utah, ended the night with a standout performance, scoring 25 points and making 11 of his 14 free-throw attempts. The Utes as a team excelled, shooting 56.5% from the field and converting 10 out of 25 three-point attempts. Supporting Ausar’s effort, Mike Sharavjamts contributed significantly with 14 points, including a three out of six performance from long distance, while Michael Madsen rounded out with 13 points.
On the opposing side, Arizona State’s Sanon spearheaded the scoring efforts by achieving a career-high 28 points, successfully making 11 out of 20 field goals. Meanwhile, Basheer Jihad supported the team with 16 points and Alston Mason added another 13 points to Arizona State’s totals.
Looking ahead, Utah will conclude its regular season with home games against West Virginia on Tuesday, followed by a matchup against No. 25 BYU on Saturday. On a similar note, Arizona State is scheduled to face No. 22 Arizona on Tuesday and will host No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday. The outcomes of these games may influence the teams’ standings as they prepare for upcoming challenges.
