SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — A dominant first-half defensive performance and a near-perfect night at the free-throw line propelled the Arizona State Sun Devils to a 71-63 victory over the Utah Utes in a Pac-12 men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

The Sun Devils, who led by as many as 19 points in the opening period, built a commanding 41-25 halftime lead by capitalizing on a rash of Utah mistakes and clamping down defensively. Arizona State forced 12 Utah turnovers in the game, converting them into 14 points, while committing only six of their own. The Utes, struggling to find any offensive rhythm, shot just 9 of 27 from three-point range and a paltry 8 of 13 from the free-throw line for the game.

The most important part of the game was Arizona State’s ability to withstand a furious second-half rally from Utah. The Utes, led by a game-high 23 points from guard Don McHenry of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, came out of the locker room with renewed energy. A 13-2 run early in the second half, capped by a McHenry three-pointer, cut the deficit to single digits and sent a charge through the crowd of 6,650.

Utah continued to chip away, with Seydou Traore of the Bronx, New York, adding 16 points. With just over four minutes remaining, a dunk by James Okonkwo of Maidenhead, England, brought the Utes within six points at 61-55, marking the closest they had been since the opening minutes.

Facing the mounting pressure, Arizona State turned to its most reliable weapon: the free-throw line. The Sun Devils, who finished 22 of 25 from the stripe, closed the game with precision. Center Massamba Diop of Rufisque, Senegal, was instrumental, scoring 15 points and converting 7 of 8 free throws, including several in the final minutes to stifle Utah’s momentum. His presence inside also resulted in three blocked shots.

Guard Maurice Odum, also of the Bronx, New York, provided steady play with 13 points and three assists, while Anthony Johnson of Midfield, Alabama, chipped in 14 points. The Sun Devils shot only 38.6 percent from the field but their efficiency at the line and their ball security proved decisive.

Despite being outrebounded 42-34 and allowing 13 offensive boards to Utah, Arizona State’s defense held the Utes to an offensive rating of 98.2 points per 100 possessions. Utah’s second-half surge, where they outscored Arizona State 38-30, ultimately fell short due to the early hole and their own struggles from the charity stripe.

With the win, Arizona State improves to 12-11 overall. The Sun Devils will travel to face Colorado on Saturday. Utah drops to 9-13 and will face a tough road test at Kansas, also on Saturday. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Tempe on February 28.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Utah had been projected with a 54.2 percent probability to win and was installed as a one-point pregame favorite. The total score of 134 points fell well under the over/under line of 163.