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Arizona State hands Runnin’ Utes their 6th straight loss

Utah’s David Jenkins Jr. scored 14 points, including a bucket to tie the game late

(Rick Scuteri | AP) Utah guard Both Gach (2) shoots between Arizona State guard Jay Heath (5), guard Luther Muhammad (1) and forward Alonzo Gaffney (32) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz.

Tempe, Ariz. • Jalen Graham scored six of Arizona State’s final nine points and the Sun Devils beat Utah 64-62 on Monday for the Utes’ sixth straight loss.

Graham made a hook shot in the lane with 56 seconds left to give Arizona State a 62-60 lead. After Utah called a timeout with 36.8 left, David Jenkins Jr. beat the shot-clock buzzer with a jumper near the free-throw line after getting his defender in the air.

Graham scored again in the lane, off a nice pass from Marreon Jackson, with 4.6 seconds left and Jenkins was stripped of the ball by Jay Heath at the buzzer.

“Our margin for error is relatively slim. We gave ourselves chances to win, but we couldn’t pull it off,” Utah head coach Craig Smith said. “When you lose it sucks. It was hard in the locker room, for sure.”

Jenkins scored 14 points for Utah (8-10, 1-7). Rollie Worster added 13 points and Dusan Mahorcic had 12 points and eight rebounds. The Utes were 17 of 20 from the free-throw line while Arizona State shot 3 for 12, but Utah lost the turnover battle 14-8.

Utah is at No. 9 UCLA on Thursday and 16th-ranked USC on Saturday.

Kimani Lawrence scored a game-high 18 points for Arizona State (6-9, 2-3 Pac-12), which was playing its third game in 28 days — and its second in 15. DJ Horne added 13 points and Graham finished with 10.

Graham was coming off a career-high 16 points, in 19 minutes, in a loss to Colorado.