ASU Men’s Basketball: Strong start falls short in 78-56 USC loss

(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)

The saying is a classic: live by the three, die by the three.

Monday night’s bout between Arizona State Men’s Basketball (6-11, 2-5 Pac-12) and the No. 15 ranked USC Trojans (17-2, 7-2 Pac-12) quickly turned into a shootout on one end as USC trounced ASU 78-56.

The Sun Devils entered the game with a cloud over the program after head coach Bobby Hurley and sophomore guard Jay Heath missed the game due to suspensions handed down by the Pac-12 Conference. Despite the challenges, ASU came out firing on all cylinders. The Sun Devils’ offense was burying shots and slowing down USC’s treacherous attack.

ASU sophomore guard DJ Horne started the game with a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer. Senior guard Marreon Jackson got hot early by draining two three-pointers and receiving a layup in transition after junior forward Jalen Graham picked the pocket of USC junior forward Max Agbonkpolo. USC then struggled to take care of the basketball, which allowed ASU to force four turnovers early in the game.

The Sun Devils capitalized on the Trojans’ misfortunes and gained a 20-8 lead. Everything was going right for ASU, while the opposite could be said about USC.

But suddenly, the Trojans’ offense woke up.

With 5:58 remaining in the half, freshman guard Reese Dixon-Waters buried a three, which would spark a 21-2 run. Dixon-Waters and junior forward Isaiah Mobley would take turns making threes on four consecutive possessions. To end the half, freshman forward Kobe Johnson found the bottom of the net on a three-ball to give the Trojans a 31-24 lead.

Although the lead was only seven points, the Sun Devils would have a steep uphill climb to get back into the game.

Both sides increased their intensity on the defensive end, limiting each other’s scoring options. USC redshirt senior forward Chevez Goodwin would take the seal of the basket by making a layup and taking a trip to the free-throw line. Horne would keep ASU in the game by trading baskets with the opposition. The offensive output was being matched by both sides, giving the game a feeling of whoever went cold first would be the loser.

The Trojans played with a lead but dug in and drove to the basket. They would attempt 14 second-half free throws, making 11 of them. Leading USC to the line was redshirt senior guard Isaiah White, who shot a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.

The trips to the charity stripe changed the tempo of the game and would force ASU to flip its strategy. By this point, the Sun Devils’ offense encountered a five minute scoring drought and had trouble knocking down the three-ball. The team shot 5-for-16 from the distance and didn’t attack the basket much, arguably handing them another loss at the free-throw line.

The free-throw disparity was large but not as crucial as the battle on the glass. USC out-rebounded ASU 49-24. Goodwin and Mobley led the effort on the glass, combining for 15 rebounds. Four of Mobley’s seven rebounds came on the offensive end, which helped the 6-foot-10 behemoth control the paint. The difference in the rebound battle was another strong indicator of how the Sun Devils lost control of the game.

ASU was swept on its California road trip and have now lost four of its last five games. The path through conference play will get tougher from here as ASU will head down south to Tucson for a rivalry matchup against the No. 3 ranked Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.