ASU Men’s Basketball: Second half surge leads Sun Devils past Cougars

(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)

Arizona State Men’s Basketball (8-15, 4-9 Pac-12 Conference) traveled to Pullman for a rematch against the Washington State Cougars (14-9, 7-5 Pac-12) on Saturday night. The last time the two squads met, Washington State ran ASU out of its own home court, but Saturday, the roles were reversed. A Sun Devils’ second-half surge was crucial to a 58-55 ASU victory.

Both teams settled into the game early, but neither could create a significant lead. The great defensive effort by both sides helped limit any offensive production. But suddenly, the Cougars went on a 5-0 scoring run, sparking a six-point advantage.

ASU redshirt junior guard Luther Muhammad led the charge in the first half by scoring six consecutive points. The streak helped dig ASU out of the early deficit, presenting it a two-point lead. Washington State would storm back with four uninterrupted free throws by junior guard Noah Williams and freshman forward Mouhamed Gueye, gifting the Cougars a two-point lead.

In the opening seven minutes of the half, ASU generated a 12-2 scoring run. The run handed the Sun Devils a lead, which would hold for the remainder of the game.

Rather than relying on its three-ball, ASU drove to the basket and created opportunities for itself. At the helm of the attack was junior forward Jalen Graham, whose floaters at the top of the key produced easy baskets. Graham finished with 14 points and four rebounds on 6-for-12 shooting.

While Graham manned the attack with the starting unit, Muhammad and senior guard Marreon Jackson led the attack on the bench. The two combined for 26 of ASU’s 33 bench points, giving head coach Bobby Hurley options as the game progressed.

Hurley would need every option he had, as foul trouble would plague the final 10 minutes of the game.

After the Sun Devils built an eight-point lead, junior forward Alonzo Gaffney committed back-to-back fouls. The fouls breathed life into the Cougars, who would storm back on an 8-2 run. The eight-point advantage shrank to two.

Hoping to help his squad hold onto the lead, Graham drove to the basket on back-to-back possessions and would be whistled for a charge both times. The fouls killed momentum for the Sun Devils, but it ultimately didn’t cost them the game.

Even with the foul trouble ASU endured, it was reciprocated on the other end of the floor. Needing a three, Washington State looked to sophomore forward Andrej Jakimovski, who is one of the best shooters in the conference, for the shot. But before the Cougars could get to that moment, the 6-foot-8 forward fouled out in the final seconds of the game, which nearly killed any chance of sending the match to overtime.

Hurley and his squad will return to Tempe next weekend to gear up for a two-game home-stand against the Oregon schools.