Runnin' Utes Upset #21 Sun Devils in Overtime

Thursday, January 25

Tempe, Ariz.

7:30 PM

University of Utah

13-7; 5-4

Arizona State

15-5; 3-5

OT 1

Utah

Arizona State

1/25/2018 11:10 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score ASU-Utah | Box Score (PDF)

Barefield scores 17 points to lead Utes to road-win

TEMPE, Ariz. – Utah's Sedrick Barefield scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Runnin' Utes past the No. 21-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, 80-77, in overtime Thursday evening at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Utes (13-7, 5-4) overcame both a seven-point first half deficit and a late ASU rally to earn the road win over the Sun Devils (15-5, 3-5). The victory marked Utah's first true road win over an AP top-25-ranked opponent since 1999.

Jayce Johnson came off the bench to score 13 first-half points and lead the Utes to 40-33 advantage at the break. Utah trailed by as many as seven points midway through the half, down 19-12, but later went on a 12-0 run to take a 27-21 lead. Johnson scored seven of Utah's 12 points during that span.

Arizona State came back to notch things up at 27-all with back-to-back three-pointers from Kodi Justice and Tra Holder, but Utah closed out the remainder of the half outscoring the Sun Devils 13-6 to take the seven-point lead into the locker room.

Neither team came out of the break firing on all cylinders, but Utah turnovers would get the Sun Devils back into the game and following a 10-0 run, ASU took its first lead of the second half, up 57-55, with 7:30 to play. Shannon Evans II would drain another three-pointer less than a minute later to push ASU's lead to 60-55, but a 9-2 Utah run gave the Utes a 64-62 lead with 3:02 left in regulation.

Holder tied the game again with a lay-up at the other end, but Rawson's bucket with 1:57 left to play in the period gave Utah a 66-64 advantage. Holder then gave ASU a 67-66 lead with a three-point play and Evans put the home team up 69-66 with a basket at the nine second mark. Barefield dribbled the length of the court and drained a three-pointer with less than two seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Utah was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the overtime period, which included three-pointers from both Rawson and Barefield. Barefield's three-pointer put the Utes up 79-77 with 2:40 left, and despite three-straight Utah turnovers, ASU would come up empty-handed over the final two and half minutes. Barefield went 1-of-2 from the free throw line with three seconds left to seal the win for the Utes.

The Utes will wrap-up its two-game road swing through the desert this Saturday, Jan. 27, taking on the Arizona Wildcats. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. MT at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.

GAME NOTES
• Utah moved to 33-21 all-time against the Sun Devils, which includes a 12-13 mark when playing ASU in Tempe. Utah has now won six of the previous seven meetings between the two teams.
• Utah defeated an AP-top 25-ranked team on the road for the first time since February of 1999. Prior to Thursday's victory, Utah's last win was at No. 18-ranked New Mexico.
• The Utes moved to 12-1 on the season when leading at halftime. Utah's only loss came to ASU, when up they were up 36-35 earlier this season in Salt Lake City.
• The Utes, who finished the game with 14 three-pointers made, have now drained at least 10 three-pointers in 11 of 20 games this season.
• All 17 of Barefield's points came in the second half. He went 0-for-2 in the first half, but finished 5-of-7 and was a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range.
• Justin Bibbins fouled out of the game for the first time this season. He finished with 15 points, going 5-of-10 from the three-point arc. He tallied a team-high six assists on the evening.
• Rawson also finished with 15 points. He was 5-of-10 overall with a 3-of-7 effort from downtown. He also led the team with nine rebounds.
• Johnson led the team with three blocked shots.