(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
In the first game of the new month and of the second half of Pac-12 play, No. 25 ASU found itself with a chance to hit the reset button.
However, the Sun Devils ended up with a result that’s become all too familiar, losing the game in the final minute 68-64 at Washington.
It was the third of ASU’s last four losses to come within five points, and it’s likely the final straw to drop them from the rankings for the first time since November.
The Sun Devils knew they would be in for a defensive battle with the Pac-12’s leader in steals per game.
They struggled against the zone, as the Huskies established a strong defensive presence in the later stages of the first half, pulling ahead 35-22 with just under two minutes to go.
Junior forward Noah Dickerson was too much for ASU’s bigs to handle, as he had his fifth double-double with a few minutes to spare in the half, and went into the locker room with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
He helped Washington outrebound ASU 10-4 on the offensive glass, and junior guard Matisse Thybulle had 3 of Washington’s 5 steals in the first 20 minutes.
Sun Devils junior forward De’Quon Lake had a surge of five points in the half’s closing minutes, but ASU was still down 37-27- its lowest first half score of the season.
The Sun Devils wasted no time rallying back, as senior guard Kodi Justice hit a tying three just a few minutes into the second half.
Even as the Sun Devils continued to trail closely throughout, they reached the bonus only eight minutes in and Thybulle had reached four fouls.
The swing in momentum was evident, as ASU fought to get its first lead and finally got it when Justice again hit a three, this time to put ASU up 51-50 with 7:17 remaining.
At that point, the Sun Devils had outscored the Huskies 24-13 in half two and Justice was leading the way with 14 points.
Closing out Washington on the road would prove no easy task though, and ASU struggled to continue scoring at the same rate.
Dickerson renounced himself down the stretch, scoring 8 points in the final 7 minutes after not previously attempting a shot in the half.
Freshman Jaylen Nowell was a consistent presence as well, finishing with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while junior guard David Crisp had a pair of key layups on back to back drives in the final 2:30 and finished with 12 points.
It was undoubtedly Thybulle though who inhibited ASU’s offense the most. He logged a conference season best 6 steals and added 2 blocks.
Thybulle led Washington’s defensive shutdown of ASU, especially when it counted in the game’s final minute.
ASU was able to stay two points behind throughout the waning minutes, but ultimately had a broken possession lead to a turnover with 11 seconds left and junior forward Dominic Green iced the game for Washington with a pair of free throws.
The foul line played a crucial role in ASU’s defeat, as it shot 65% to Washington’s 83%, but it was hardly the biggest reason for the loss.
The Sun Devils committed 15 turnovers, their highest in conference play, and scored 64 points, a season low, on 5-19 shooting from three.
The loss drops ASU to 16-6 overall and 4-6 in the Pac-12.
The win is Washington’s third in a row, and makes them 16-6 as well with a 6-3 conference record.
ASU returns to action Sunday at Washington State for a 2 p.m. tip off. The game can be seen on ESPNU.
