The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Sun Devils (13-2, 1-2 Pac-12) and marked the program's first victory against the Utes (10-5, 2-2) in Salt Lake City since 1975.
Arizona State got off to its second hot start in as many games, following up Thursday's 11-0 beginning by hitting its first four shots to take an early 8-0 advantage.
That lead was extended to double digits a few minutes later as the Sun Devils used back-to-back steal and scores from senior Kodi Justice to make the score 19-8. Justice would finish the night with 20 points, matching his third-best scoring output since arriving in Tempe.
The home team would ultimately climb back into the game though, taking advantage of 14 first half fouls to grab a 36-35 lead at the halftime break. Arizona State is now 13-28 (.317) when trailing at the half under head coach Bobby Hurley after going 12-64 (.157) in the previous five seasons.
13 HALFTIME DEFICIT WINS UNDER COACH HURLEY
(-1) @Utah 36, ASU 35/Jan. 4, 2018/ASU 80, @Utah 77
(-3) @#2 Kansas 40, ASU 37/Dec. 10, 2017/#16 ASU 95, @#2 KU 85
(-2) #15 Xavier 46, ASU 44/Nov. 24, 2017/ASU 102, #15 Xavier 86
(-2) Kansas State 44, ASU 42/Nov. 23, 2017/ASU 92, KSU 90
(-6) SDSU 40, ASU 34/Nov. 14, 2017/ASU 90, SDSU 68
(-1) USC 48, ASU 47/Feb. 26, 2017/ASU 83, USC 82
(-2) @UW 41, ASU 39/Feb. 16, 2017/ASU 83, @UW 81
(-1) Stanford 33, ASU 32/Feb. 11, 2017/ASU 75, Stanford 69
(-7) @SDSU 32, ASU 25/Dec. 10, 2016/ASU 74, @SDSU 63
(-3) #23 USC 30, ASU 27/Feb. 12, 2016/ASU 74, USC 67
(-12) @UNLV 37, ASU 25/Dec. 16, 2015/ASU 66, @UNLV 56
(-8) @Creighton 41, ASU 33/Dec. 2, 2015/ASU 79, @Creighton 77
(-2) UCSB 29, ASU 27/Nov. 29, 2015/ASU 70, UCSB 68
The second half was just as tight as the lead changed hands 11 times in the final 20 minutes. It was the visitors who grabbed momentum first, scoring the first eight points of the half to open up a 43-36 lead. That seven-point advantage would be the largest margin for either team the rest of the way.
It was another senior guard who began to take over late in the second half as Shannon Evans II shot his team into some late separation.
Evans scored seven straight points for the Sun Devils, turning a 66-65 deficit into a 73-70 lead with three and a half minutes remaining. The mini-run was highlighted by a pair of three-pointers for the senior, the first coming off a crossover dribble in transition and the second on a 25-footer.
Someone woke The Beast ??@hollywood_XI pic.twitter.com/tolgXSAQav
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) January 8, 2018
Utah would never lead again from that point on, although it did pull even at 77-77 with 45 seconds remaining.
Arizona State wasn't to be denied, however, clutching up at the charity stripe in the game's final possessions. Ohio State transfer Mickey Mitchell knocked down a pair of free throws with 20 seconds to play to make the score 79-77, and Evans split a pair with less than a second showing on the clock to ice the 80-77 win.
.@MickeyMitchell0 to the line.
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) January 8, 2018
Makes both.
79-77.
14 seconds. pic.twitter.com/7pvpamS8K0
Evans finished with a game-high 22 points, making five three-pointers and pulling down six rebounds to boot. Three others finished the night in double figures, as point guards Tra Holder and Remy Martin scored 11 points each to join Justice and Evans.
KODI JUSTICE TOP SCORING GAMES
28 vs. Kansas State (11/23/17)
22 vs. USC (2/26/17)
20 at Utah (1/4/18)
20 vs. Citadel (11/23/16)
20 vs. Houston Baptist (12/19/15)
The Sun Devils controlled the Utes on the glass (32-25) and finished with more points off turnovers (18-8) and bench points (18-7).
Arizona State now returns home for a quick two-game homestand and will look to build on its momentum on Thursday night against Oregon.