ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils fall to Arizona 67-56 despite strong start

(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)

Before heading back to Tempe, Arizona State Men’s Basketball (6-12, 2-6 Pac-12) headed south to Tucson to take on No. 3 ranked Arizona (17-2, 7-1 Pac-12) on Saturday. ASU fell to the Wildcats 67-56, losing its third consecutive game.

The Sun Devils came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, which helped them build an early 9-4 lead. Their attack was led by sophomore DJ Horne, who had a hot start from the field. The 6-foot-1 guard caught fire from behind the arch, burying five three-pointers.

Lending Horne a helping hand was junior forward Jalen Graham, who contributed six first-half points. Graham also managed to grab four rebounds, helping ASU gain the advantage on the glass.

The Sun Devils’ hot start was crucial to their first-half success, but the Wildcats’ slow start proved to be vital to ASU’s lead as well. In the first half, Arizona struggled to find the bottom of the net, which resulted in a 7-for-29 performance from the field. The Wildcats also didn’t make a single shot from deep – missing all 13 attempts. Junior center Oumar Ballo was the leading scorer for Arizona with seven first-half points.

The Wildcats’ treacherous attack stalled in the half, which should have given the Sun Devils a major advantage. But Arizona’s attempts at the free-throw line kept them in the game. In just the first 20 minutes of play, the Wildcats made 18 of their 21 attempts at the free-throw line. This helped Arizona tie the game before heading into halftime.

ASU would score the first basket of the half with a three-pointer from sophomore guard Jay Heath. But soon after, Arizona would erupt for six consecutive points. The Wildcats would take a 35-34 lead by the 17:34 mark – their first lead of the ball game.

Freshman guard Bennedict Mathurin and Ballo were critical in the second-half surge. Bennedict was 2-for-10 in the first half but would flip a switch and shoot 3-for-6 in the second half. Bennedict and Ballo would both finish with 14 points each.

Adding to the damage was sophomore center Christian Koloko, who finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. The performance was Koloko’s sixth double-double of the season, and the five blocks tied his career-high.

Horne was a bright spot for the Sun Devils in the first half – contributing 15 points – and would appear to be a crucial element in the second half. But the 6-foot-1 guard would lose his hot hand, going 1-for-8 from the field with his only make coming at the 15:01 mark. The Wildcats’ made adjustments at the half to slow down Horne, instead forcing another Sun Devil to beat them, which paid dividends.

Saturday’s victory improved Arizona’s home win streak to 11 games but it will be tested next Thursday when the No. 7 ranked UCLA Bruins visit Tucson. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats in their previous matchup on Jan. 25.

Like the Wildcats, the Sun Devils will also get another taste of the LA schools as the No. 15 ranked USC Trojans will travel to Tempe on Thursday. ASU will look to bounce back and avoid what would be their fourth consecutive loss then.