Analysis: ASU prevails over Marquette thanks to improved play of Bachynski

(Photo: Noah Findling/WCSN)

After getting out to an early lead and then letting Marquette back in the game courtesy of both a conditional and unconditional technical foul, Jordan Bachynski preserved Arizona State’s 79-77 win over the Golden Eagles.

Derrick Wilson drove the lane with seven seconds left on the clock Monday night down two points. At first it appeared the guard might cross with another player to dish it for a game winning three, perhaps to Jake Thomas who had already hit five threes on the night. However, Wilson continued to drive toward the basket and attempted what really was an ill-advised lay-up that greeted Bachynski’s hand that already had six blocks in the match prior to the game securing seventh block.

“We knew we had to play heads up basketball and play smart. We were going to key on their shooter and we knew they needed two to tie and three to win,” Bachynski said. “I knew that as he was coming I knew he was going to take it so I leaked over jumped and prayed and blocked the shot.”

Before the final play Jermaine Marshall had been fouled and sent to the free throw line for the one-and-one where he made the first free throw but missed the second.

It’s ironic that Marshall was the individual to loosen the noose around ASU’s neck a tad bit at the end of the game, but the fact that he was a big part in the bizarre events that transpired earlier in the competition as well.

It started earlier in the second half when the transfer from Penn State made a three-pointer and was running his mouth toward the other team as he back pedaled to the defensive end. On the very next offensive possession Marshall got a tough bucket in the interior, and again as he retreated back to his defensive side he was talking trash at Marquette.

Only on this instance right as he was crossing half-court one of the game officials came sprinting over and gave Marshall a technical foul, and consequentially the Golden Eagles two free shots.

As the biased and generally unaware ASU crowd and student section booed the decision as is common, a glow stick was thrown onto the court for the second time on the night. This meant another technical foul would be assessed against the Sun Devils.

Marquette ended up converting the first two free throws, missing the third, and making the fourth. Therefore when you break it down, Marshall’s technical cost the team two points and the certain student’s incompetence cost the squad one point.

Aside from the brief mental lapse, the fifth year-senior came to play once again Monday night shooting virtuously from deep making three of his seven three-point attempts and knocking in 21 points as a whole.

The first year Sun Devil provided wonderful aid for Jahii Carson who topped Marshall’s point total by one bucket with his 23 points.

Carson mentioned that it was actually Marshall who encouraged him to look to score more in this game.

“Jermaine came up to me after the timeout and was like we still need you to be aggressive,” Carson said. “There’s times I feel like I got to distribute a little more. But my job is to find the mismatches and exploit them.”

No surprise the sophomore’s aggressive play late in the game was the catalyst to the ASU win.

The Sun Devils were actually down by a point with ten minutes and 33 seconds left in the game when Carson made his way into the painted area and threw in one of his patented tough lay-ups in traffic. On the next possession, the ball was dished to Egor Koulechov, who drove from the left baseline and converted a lay-up of his own.

After a defensive stop Carson came down the court and made a tear drop floater in transition. The point guard capped off the run by making a three pointer to put Arizona State ahead by six points, force a Marquette timeout, and extend the lead to a point that ASU would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

Bachynski’s block to end the game is what will stay in ASU fans’ minds, however his concerted effort to assert his dominance and stature down low needs to be noted.

It is a testament to the Arizona State squad’s commitment to continually enter the ball into the post even when it takes a couple of swings of the ball around the perimeter to get the ball into the seven-footer. However, when Bachynski did get the ball down low Monday he took advantage of his opportunities.

A certain series that’s particularly vivid was late in the first half when the center received the ball on the right block one play, went toward the middle of the basket to evade the double team and dunked with his left hand. The next time down the court Bachynski set up below the right block, caught the ball after Shaq McKissic penetrated the lane and Bachynski dunked in two more points without dribbling to put ASU up 41-29.

The detail of Bachynski finishing the play without dribbling or bringing the ball down low is imperative. The center has done a tremendous job this season of catching the ball and then putting it into the hoop. Rather than taking time to put one dribble down and letting his defensive man recover.

It’s something the center should understand being the elite shot blocker that he is. Going up weak, and allowing the men down low time to recover is never fortuitous for the offensive man.

He saved the game at the end of the contest with his block and most likely saved Marshall and a student who would have inevitably been revealed from probable and malicious ridicule.

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