TEMPE, Ariz. – Sophie Brunner scored 10 points, including two go-ahead baskets in the last two minutes, as No. 10 Arizona State came back from 12 points down to defeat Utah, 46-42 on Friday night.
Brunner also finished with eight rebounds and Peace Amukamara added nine points and three assists for the Sun Devils (25-4, 14-3 Pac-12).
Taryn Wicijowski, who finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Danielle Rodriguez, who had 12 points and four rebounds, led Utah (9-19, 3-14 Pac-12).
With the win, the 350th at ASU for head coach Charli Turner Thorne, the Sun Devils remained in sole possession of second place in the Pac-12, one game behind seventh-ranked Oregon State (25-3, 15-2) and one game in front of both No. 19 Stanford (21-8, 13-4) and No. 24 Cal (21-7, 13-4) with one game remaining in the regular season. The Beavers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament, but the Sun Devils could still end up with a share of the Pac-12 regular season crown with an Oregon State loss on Saturday vs. Cal and an ASU win over Colorado on Sunday.
The Sun Devils, who outscored Utah 28-18 in the second half, are now 7-1 this season (and 19-2 the last two seasons) in games decided by five points or less and/or overtime.
ASU struggled offensively throughout the first half as it shot 21 percent during the first 20 minutes while the Utes connected on 48 percent of their shots to build a 24-18 halftime lead. The Sun Devils were aided by hitting all eight of their free throw attempts in the first half.
“We have no problem winning ugly,” Turner Thorne said. “I have no idea what we were doing on offense in the first half, but it wasn’t anything that we wanted to do.”
The Utes (9-19, 3-14) started the second half on an 8-2 run to grow their lead to 32-20 with 13:41 left in the second half.
The Sun Devils were able to respond, going on an 18-3 run to take a 36-35 lead on a layup from Brunner with 3:38 left to play.
Katie Hempen was able to put ASU up by three, 40-37, after sinking a pair of free throws with 2:49 remaining, but Cheyenne Wilson calmly drilled a three for Utah on the Utes’ next possession to tie the game at 40.
Brunner scored on an off-balance runner with 53 seconds left that gave ASU a 44-42 lead. Ayanna Edwards then forced a double dribble by Utah forward Joeseta Fatuesi.
Amukamara was able to make one of two free throws to give the Sun Devils a 45-42 lead with 36 seconds left.
Looking for the tying basket on its ensuing possession, Utah was unable to find an open look against the determined ASU defense and Tanaeya Boclair’s desperation three fell way short. Hempen then made one of two free throws to ice the game for the Sun Devils.
“In the second half we were getting a lot better looks than we got in the first half,” Turner Thorne said. “In the first half we were settling and in the second half we were getting open layups and getting to the free throw line.
“All we were talking about on the bench was ‘Just keep working. They’re getting tired.’ And I thought that really showed the last three or four minutes of the game when we were getting them to turn it over.”
The Sun Devils conclude regular season play on Sunday (2 p.m. MT) when they host Colorado on Senior Day. Sunday’s contest against the Buffaloes will be the final regular season home game for Promise Amukamara and Isidora Purkovic. The two will be honored in a ceremony following Sunday’s game.