(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
With three games remaining in its nonconference schedule, Arizona State hosts Lehigh, and looks to bounce back from another road loss. The Sun Devils will also be looking to extend their 14-game winning streak in Wells Fargo Arena.
Lehigh is coming off a tough 80-65 loss to Quinnipiac where it was outrebounded, 53-40. The Sun Devils will be Lehigh’s third Power-5 conference opponent, with Villanova and DePaul being the other two. The Mountain Hawks have gone 1-1 in those games, losing to Villanova before beating DePaul.
ASU struggled offensively against Marquette in its latest matchup, shooting just 36.7 percent in the first half and 38.7 percent for the contest. Boasting balanced scoring lines all season, the Sun Devils had just two players (sophomore guard Gerry Blakes and freshman guard Kodi Justice) in double-figures. After dropping a career-high 22 points against Pepperdine, senior forward Shaquielle McKissic was held to a scoreless first half and finished with eight points.
The game will provide an opportunity for both teams to end losing skids, and ASU in particular to improve upon its home-winning streak.
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
The Sun Devils have outrebounded all but one opponent (Maryland) and have been ever-improving on the glass as junior center Eric Jacobsen continues to escalate his level of play. With the availability of sophomore forward Savon Goodman at head coach Herb Sendek’s disposal, the glass should become a strength for ASU. Lehigh is coming off a game where it was outrebounded by 23, so the Sun Devils should have a clear-cut advantage on the boards.
Quick Starts
ASU has been plagued by a few slow starts on the offensive side of the ball. Lehigh is as susceptible to sluggish starts as well. Whichever team can either amend that trend or weather the storm of the first 10 minutes should come out victorious.
Which McKissic shows up
McKissic has been wildly-inconsistent on offense this season. One game, he is putting up double-figures and looks like ASU’s go-to guy. Other games, the senior seems invisible. With junior guard Gerry Blakes shouldering the offensive load with 16.3 points in his last seven games, the Sun Devils will surely continue to look to McKissic to provide more offense from the small-forward position.
Prediction
ASU is more talented, plain and simple. Lehigh isn’t as competitive as years’ past, and this should be an easy victory for the Sun Devils and they will extend their home-winning streak to 15 games.
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
