The Big 12 schedule is a gauntlet, and it has taken a physical toll on Arizona State. However, on Saturday afternoon, Sparky clenched its teeth and showed its toughness.
Behind a lineup full of players battling injuries, the Sun Devils prevailed with a gutsy 73-60 win over Utah.
ASU (15-14, 6-10 Big 12) faced uncertainty around the status of senior guard Moe Odum, who did not practice this week after injuring his foot in Tuesday’s loss at TCU. Coach Bobby Hurley said he wasn’t sure whether Odum would play against the Utes (10-19, 2-14 Big 12).
When he saw him Saturday morning, he said he had no doubt.
“A lot of kids wish they were in my position,” Odum said. “If I can walk, I can run. And if I can run, I can definitely play.”
Odum certainly came to play. The senior guard drilled three 3-pointers in the final five minutes of the first half to close a 20-5 Sun Devil run. He ended the night with 15 points, two rebounds and four assists.
During the week, Odum wasn’t the only one sidelined from practice. Graduate student forward Allen Mukeba has also missed practice, but he, too, gutted out a strong effort on both ends of the floor en route to a Sparky victory.
“I’ve had some teams that if guys had their (Odum and Mukeba) injuries, they might be out six to eight weeks, Hurley said. “It’s a testament to the character of those two.”
Beast on the glass 😈
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Mukeba ended the game with six points, two rebounds and one assist, while shooting a perfect 100% from the field, highlighting a strong showing from the ASU bench.
Postgame, Hurley also credited sophomore forward Santiago Trouet for battling through injuries while turning in a strong performance. The San Diego transfer recorded his fifth double-double of the year while dropping 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
“He personifies the type of player that I like to coach, Hurley said about Trouet. “I am thankful that he’s pushed through injuries this year, I mean, he has not felt perfect in a couple of months.”
Trouet helped spark Arizona State early in the second half with six points and three offensive rebounds in the opening minutes.
The Maroon and Gold’s laundry list of injuries does not stop there. Junior guard Bryce Ford has missed some time and was recently placed on a minute restriction while working back through an injury, and hit the game’s biggest shot.
After a slow start from ASU, where it fell behind 14-5 early in the first half, the Sun Devils clawed all the way back after Ford nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer, and Sparky never looked back.
Ford finished the day with eight points in 28 minutes, his highest mark since late December.
“I am near 100%,” Ford said. “I still feel it a little bit, but I love basketball, and I want to play.”
This hard-nosed identity remains infectious amongst this Sun Devil squad. That toughness will be put to the full test as Hurley’s squad preps to take on No. 14 Kansas (21-8, 11-5 Big 12) on Tuesday night in its home finale at Desert Financial Arena.
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