(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
Bobby Hurley stood in the hallway at the Gill Coliseum. His team just suffered their third straight loss, this one coming at the hands of the Oregon State Beavers.
“I’m a terrible coach right now,” Hurley said when asked about allowing the Beavers to score 44 points in the paint.
Next question.
“I’m a terrible coach right now.” Hurley said.
Next question.
“I’m a terrible coach right now.”
That was all Hurley said, as he walked down the empty hallway back to his team’s locker room.
Oregon State (14-14, 6-10) defeated Arizona State 79-75 on Saturday night in front of a rowdy OSU crowd. For the Devils (19-9, 7-9), this marks their third loss in a row, and arguably their most embarrassing and humiliating of the season. Since going undefeated in non-conference play, the Sun Devils are 7-9. They have not looked good, to say the least. The warning signs have been evident. Teams have come hungry to play against ASU, and been able to capitalize on their weaknesses. With one of the better non-conference resumes in the nation, there was never need to panic. That changed Saturday night, and it is officially time to panic.
After a troubling defensive outing against Oregon, the Devils regressed even further. They allowed the Beavers to get 44 of their points in the paint. Compare that to ASU’s mere 26 points. To simply put it, OSU was just too dominant for the Devils. All five starters were in double figures, and three shot 50 percent or better. As a team, the Beavers shot 53 percent from the field.
With under nine minutes remaining, the Beavers’ lead rose to a game-high 15 points. It appeared the game was over and out of reach. But unlike the first 30 minutes, the Devils began to show heart, and slowly chipped into the deficit. With just over a minute remaining, Tra Holder would swish in a three, tying the game at 75 a piece. This capped a 9-0 ASU run that took just over a minute. All of a sudden, we had ourselves a brand new ball game.
On the ensuing possession, Drew Eubanks drew a foul on Romello White. White fouled out, and Eubanks headed to the line with 37 seconds remaining on the clock. He knocked down both. Bobby Hurley called a timeout, brought in his guys, and drew up a play. It couldn’t have gone any smoother, as Kodi Justice found himself wide-open for the potential go-ahead three. Unfortunately, it graced the rim, and fell into the hands of Tres Tinkle. All hope appeared to be lost for the Devils.
Tinkle’s first free-throw rimmed out, and all of a sudden, a glimmer of hope remained. That glimmer quickly diminished, as Stephen Thompson Jr. grabbed the offensive board on the second missed free-throw, got fouled, and headed back to the line. He knocked down both, and gave the Beavers the well-deserved win.
For ASU, this is a game they hope to forget soon, and fast. They have two games remaining on the season, both at home, and both against winnable opponents. They’ll face off against Cal and Stanford, two teams who will not find themselves in this year’s tournament. Every game is a “must-win”, but with the Devils’ recent struggles, these next two games might be imperative if ASU has any chance of making the big dance.
