TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State center Jordan Bachynski's game is part Gandhi, part Animal Planet and all over the floor.
Utah, especially, should find a place for Bachynski on its All-Pac-12 ballot after he had his first career double-double – 11 points, 11 rebounds – and tied his career high with four blocked shots in a 57-52 revenge victory over the Utes in a game that marked the return of Trent Lockett.
Bachynski stirred first in ASU's 21-point loss at Utah on Jan. 21, blocking four shots in that game, and has since provided an inside game that Thursday was complemented by 15 points from Carrick Felix and 12 from Lockett, who had missed the previous six games with a right ankle sprain.
ASU was 1-5 in Lockett's absence, but his return combined with Bachynski's improved play and an 11th-place Utah team that shot only 30 percent from the field, the Sun Devils gave themselves an opportunity for a conference sweep for only the second time this season as they await Colorado on Saturday. ASU hadn't won a Thursday game since beating USC on Jan. 5.
Bachynski, a 7-foot-2 sophomore, had three blocked shots in a 53-second span midway through the first half, and that seemed to get both him and the Sun Devils (8-16, 4-8) going.
"It comes back to one of my favorite ideas from Gandhi: You can't do one thing in life without it affecting another. Like in basketball, you can't play hard on the defensive end without it affecting the offensive end," said Bachynski, who has averaged 11 points and seven rebounds with 13 blocked shots since that first Utah game.
"One of my favorite things to do is watch Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. Some of those animals … I've seen tigers jump into a helicopter. The aggressiveness of those animals is a great thing to emulate, and I'm just trying to be aggressive."
With all remaining hands on deck Thursday, ASU took a 14-point lead with 6 1/2 minutes remaining and held on by making 8 of 10 free throws in the last two minutes.
Felix had a follow dunk on a bad Lockett miss with one minute remaining for a 54-49 edge, then made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left for a 56-52 lead after getting an offensive rebound. ASU dominated the Utes (5-19, 2-10) on the glass with a 40-22 rebounding edge, a reason it could overcome 20 turnovers.
"It was definitely good to have Trent back. It definitely brought a lot of energy, and another voice on the court is always good. Let's hope he stays healthy," Felix said.
Lockett took treatment on his ankle up until game time, he said, and planned another night of treatment at home Thursday. He's practiced at full speed once since suffering the injury Jan. 14, doing five-on-five half-court work for about 15 minutes on Wednesday. The Sun Devils will hold do limited work Friday before Saturday's game against Colorado.
"Medicine is a wonderful thing. It will be interesting when the medicine wears off, but I'm sure I'll be good to go on Saturday," Lockett said. "It's going to be a process, but it just felt good to get back out there. It's going to be sore, but I'll respond."
Lockett showed his stamina after the layoff wasn't a factor, playing a team-high 36 minutes. He also had six rebounds, four turnovers, two assists and two steals while spending about half the game at point guard.
At the same time, Lockett – ASU's leading scorer at 13.9 points a game – admitted he didn't feel like his old self.
"My balance was a little bit off, and my explosiveness, being able to get to the rim and finish through contact. It'll come back eventually. I'll continue to work it," he said.
It was the first time Lockett and Bachynski started together since Dec. 3 at Tulsa, another ASU victory.
"Basketball is a game of confidence, and (Bachynski) has really come in and found his niche. He likes his up-and-under move, and he knows he can rebound well. If he continues on that path, it will really help us," Lockett said.
"It really just clicked that first Utah game. That is when I really saw some energy in his eyes. He was going after the ball on the offensive glass. He didn't play outstanding, but showed energy and I think he built on that from that game."
