ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils face Colgate and look to end two-game losing skid

(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)

The Arizona State Sun Devils (3-2) will take on the Colgate Raiders (2-2) Saturday night at 7 p.m., in Wells Fargo Arena. Both teams are coming off a loss that looked remarkably similar. The Sun Devils lost 76-71 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CBE Classic in Missouri on Tuesday, while the Raiders fell to the Albany Great Danes in their home opener 75-71. Junior guard Gerry Blakes led the way for the Sun Devils with 21 total points. Senior guard Damon Sherman-Newsome also claimed 21 points to lead his Raider team.

Both ASU and Colgate did a strong job crashing the boards on offense, with 12 and 11 offensive rebounds respectively. Sherman-Newsome and ASU forward Jonathan Gilling each hit a critical three-pointer in the last minute of their games to help bring their teams to near-victories. These two teams may have played parallel games in their previous matchups, but come Saturday night it will be interesting to see how these teams dissimilate.

Keys to Game

– Make Free Throws

The short-term solution is simple. The Sun Devils lost by five points to Colgate; they shot 58 percent from the charity stripe. They lost 78-73 to Maryland; they shot 64.3 percent. If ASU makes those free throws, they go into the final minutes of the game with a lead,and not a desperate scramble to battle a short deficit.

– Deny Sherman-Newsome

Sherman-Newsome does not seem to have a sweet spot on the floor. He can sink them from all over. In his last game, he hit three from behind the arc, eight from the floor and sunk both 0f his free throws for his fifth double-figure performance this season.  His production is vital to this Raider team, as he scored nearly a third of his team’s total points last game, and if he can be denied the ball, it will pose a problem for Colgate.

– Diminish Turnovers

This has always been a problem for ASU. The Sun Devils are currently averaging 14 turnovers per game, with 70 this season in just five games. The Sun Devils are forcing an average 12 turnovers per game, however the opponent ranks higher in points off turnovers. ASU needs to guard the ball and be smart with their passes.

Prediction

Despite these two teams’ similar, fast-paced playing styles, ASU can likely come away with the victory. The Sun Devils have lost their last two and will be ready to attack a team that has struggled with many of the same things they have been working on. If they can keep their game clean, shut down the team’s star guard and have substantial production from both Gilling and Blakes, ASU can come away with the win.

You can reach the author on Twitter @KristinaV_18 or by email at kvicario@asu.edu

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