ASU Men’s Basketball: Oregon Dominates Paint, Defeat Sun Devils

(Photo: Brady Klain / WCSN )

The Oregon Ducks won their eighth straight game versus the Sun Devils, getting the 75-68 victory. Oregon outscored the Devils 36-14 in the paint. They had 12 offensive boards, which led to 16 second-chance points, and ultimately was the difference maker in the game.

Things were looking good for the Devils (19-8, 7-8) early on. ASU knocked down five of their first seven shots, including going 3-for-4 from deep. Shannon Evans saw his first two go in. Kimani Lawrence finally saw one from beyond the arc splash through the net, as he was 0-for-6 on the season coming into the contest.

Remy Martin, who’s been a much-needed spark off the bench all season, wasn’t anything short of that tonight. The freshman had eight points in eight minutes, with most of his field goals coming on mid-range jumpers. Martin probably isn’t the best shooter on the team, but there’s no question he is the most efficient when it comes to that shot. In the first half, he was tied for the lead in points, with 11.

Momentum shifted towards Oregon’s (18-10, 8-7) favor once they switched to man-to-man. ASU had no answer, missing eight of their next nine shots. An 8-0 run would give the Ducks the lead.

Things got ugly for the Devils, as Oregon’s tenacious defense forced back-to-back Devil turnovers, with ASU failing to get the ball past half-court. Oregon’s lead would get as high as eight. Luckily for ASU, Evans and Martin helped them get right back in it. Both guards would have and-ones, respectively. A Kodi Justice three would tie the game at 40 with 30 seconds remaining. The tie was short-lived, as a Troy Brown three at the buzzer would give the Ducks a three-point lead heading into the locker room.

The Devils out-shot the Ducks in the first half, both from the field and from deep. ASU shot 48 percent compared to Oregon’s 47 percent. From deep, ASU was 42 percent (5-for-12) compared to Oregon’s cool 20 percent (2-for-10).

Points in the paint was the theme in the first-half, as Oregon had the 26-10 advantage. The Ducks have five offensive rebounds, which led to eight second-chance points. Tra Holder, who’s been ASU’s leading scorer this season, was scoreless in the first-half, missing all four of his shots. He would finish the game without a bucket, going 0-for-6 from the field.

The Ducks came out of the locker room on fire, going on a quick 10-0 run to give them a 13 point-lead. Things weren’t looking up for the Devils, as their first few possessions were sloppy. Though, as we’ve seen, this is a game of runs. Shannon Evans sparked the Devils on both ends of the floor. The senior knocked down a three on one end, then emphatically swatted away a shot on the other. ASU would go on a 7-0 run to cut the Ducks’ lead to six. Oregon would go scoreless over the course of the next four minutes. A Kimani Lawrence three would cut the Devils’ deficit to only three. Oregon would miss nine of their next 10 shots, prompting a 12-2 Sun Devil run.

As mentioned earlier, this is a game of runs. ASU couldn’t buy a basket, as they would go 1-for-9 from the field, including a five minute scoring drought. The Ducks would take advantage, going on a 7-0 run to give them a double-digit lead once again.

The Devils would get as close as five, but they were unable to complete the comeback, as they fell to the Ducks 75-68.

Shannon Evans was the leading scorer for the Devils, dropping 25 points. Remy Martin added 15 off the bench, and De’Quon Lake added 12 rebounds.