ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils survive scare from Princeton

(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)

Late-game heroics from Khalid Thomas and Remy Martin saved the Arizona State Sun Devils (4-2) from a second-straight defeat Tuesday night, completing a comeback effort to defeat the Princeton Tigers, 67-65.

In a game in which the Sun Devils struggled offensively, Martin’s 33 points led the way for ASU, but on a night where the junior guard scored a career-high in points, the biggest play of the night came via an assist.

The junior guard found Thomas in the right corner for a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining. Thomas’ go-ahead three-pointer was his second of the night, just moments after the junior college transfer from the College of Southern Idaho gave ASU a 64-60 lead just moments earlier.

Despite playing just two minutes during the Sun Devils’ 48-45 loss to No. 7 Virginia on Sunday, Thomas contributed 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting for Arizona State against the Tigers.

Arizona State’s ability to avoid a loss to Princeton for the second year in a row was due in large part to their ability to come back from deficits — a skill they’ve showcased over their last three games.

The Sun Devils early hole – which has become a consistent theme during the Devils’ three-game road-trip – was a by-product of the Tigers efficient offense. With 9:40 remaining in the first half, the Tigers took a 20-10 lead. The winless Princeton squad took a 31-26 lead into halftime after shooting 51.9 percent from the field during the opening 20 minutes.

Martin’s 33-point effort also came in an efficient manner, as the junior guard shot 13-of-23 from the field in the Sun Devils win. Junior forward Romello White came up one rebound shy of a double-double, recording an 11-point, nine-rebound night in the win.

After a three-game road-trip to the East coast, the Sun Devils head to San Francisco next Tuesday for another non-conference road game. That game will tip off at 9 p.m. and can be seen on CBS Sports Network.

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