Desmond Cambridge Jr. had 15 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, to lead Arizona State to a 67-59 victory over Utah on Saturday at Tempe, Ariz.
Arizona State outscored Utah 12-2 over the last 2:19 of the game.
The game was important for both teams’ aspirations to finish in the top four of the Pac-12 and avoid playing on the first day of the conference tournament in three weeks.
Arizona State and Utah are now tied for fourth place with 10-7 records. The Sun Devils (19-9 overall) have the tiebreaker because Saturday is the only matchup between the teams this season.
After a jumper by Cambridge put Arizona State ahead 60-57 with 1:41 left, Utah’s Lazar Stefanovic answered with a jump shot.
Cambridge responded with a 3-pointer with 48 seconds remaining to give Arizona State a 63-59 lead.
Utah (17-11) missed four shots, including three 3-pointers, on its ensuing possession, and the Sun Devils gained possession with 16 seconds left.
DJ Horne made two free throws with 13 seconds left to increase the lead to 65-69.
Stefanovic then missed a 3-pointer with nine seconds left.
Warren Washington led Arizona State in scoring with 18 points and Devan Cambridge finished with 14.
Stefanovic, Marco Anthony and Branden Carlson each had 12 points for the Utes.
Utah starting guard Rollie Worster left with an ankle injury with 16:33 left and did not return. The game was tied at 33 at the time.
The Utes were already without second-leading scorer Gabe Madsen (11.7 points a game). He has missed the last five games with a lower-leg injury.
There were six lead changes and 11 ties in the game.
Neither team led by more than three points in the second half until Wilguens Exacte Jr. made a 3-pointer with 10:45 left put the Utes ahead 43-39.
A layup by Carlson with 5:18 left pushed the lead to four again, and it was the largest margin by either team until Horne’s free throws with 13 seconds left.
Arizona State converted just 3 of 15 shots from 3-point range, but forced Utah into 17 turnovers.
The Sun Devils outscored the Utes 20-2 in points off turnovers.
Utah balanced that by outrebounding Arizona State 45-30 and totaling 19 second-chance points compared with the Sun Devils’ eight.
–Field Level Media
