(Photo: Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)
As Arizona State Men’s Basketball (9-5, 3-0 Pac-12) graduate forward Jose Perez unleashed what was his season-high fifth three-point attempt of the game a hint of a smile graced his face. As it flew untouched into the bottom of the net the smile got a little bigger.
The three put ASU up 75-59 on Utah (11-3, 2-1 Pac-12) with just under four minutes remaining, in a game that was 53-55 just seven minutes prior. He had scored eight points in the last four minutes and he wasn’t done burying the Utes yet.
Perez’s next two and half minutes read as follows, free throw, layup, free throw, free throw. The West Virginia transfer scored 13 of his 26 total points in the last eight minutes of the contest. His scoring and specifically his shooting from deep – especially down the stretch – helped down Utah in an 82-70 Sun Devil victory.
Perez felt his successful night from deep was a sort of justice owed – and one that was due to come – to opponents who didn’t allocate their premier perimeter defenders in an attempt to stop him and anyone else who doubted his touch from behind the arc.
“It was only a matter of time,” Perez said. “People have been playing the center on me, and I took it as a sign of disrespect. I also see what everybody says on Twitter and stuff. So I took that criticism.”
While Perez spearheaded the scoring attack for ASU it was an all-hands-on-deck effort to stifle the bruising Utes offense. Utah deployed two seven-footers in their starting group as opposed to ASU’s first five which featured no player over 6 feet, 9 inches tall. Hurley cited his team’s IQ, speed, discipline, and defensive movement as the absolutely vital cornerstones of their successful night on that end.
“The guys are instinctively thinking ahead,” Hurley said. “A ball is thrown in an area and we’re getting help. Guys rotating and swarming the basketball because we can’t afford to leave anybody on an island around the basket.”
A comprehensive team effort on defense was undoubtedly necessary. However, all of Hurley, Perez, and junior guard Frankie Collins cited the individual defensive torment, redshirt junior guard Adam Miller subjected Utah’s – second-leading scorer – senior guard Gabe Madsen to all night as a highlight.
“Adam Miller’s defense on Madsen was unbelievable,” Hurley said. “He’s one of their guys we really wanted to try and take out of the game and I thought Adam was terrific in that regard.”
“Adam Miller held [Madsen] to three points,” Perez said. “He took four shots, that’s big time.”
“[Madsen] has been one of their best players,” Collins said. “So for [Miller] to guard him like that and he only gets four shots. Just shows you how good [Miller] did defensively.”
The victory was ASU’s third consecutive conference win, and one that will send Head Coach Bobby Hurley and company to bed tied with the Oregon Ducks (11-3, 3-0 Pac-12) for a share of the early conference lead. Hurley believes the final pieces to the tactical puzzle are coming together for his team and that those pieces have fit together fairly quickly since conference play began on Dec. 29th in Stanford.
“I think the group is learning to become a good basketball team,” Hurley said. “The ball was moving, guys were making shots, you’re seeing them play more confidently. A lot has changed just with our mindset I think over the last like 10 days or so.”
Possibly more important than the conference record is the fact that this win was ASU’s first quadrant one victory of the season. In short, this win served as a huge resume booster and victory over a top 30, in the NET ranking, side. Utah ranked 18th in the NET entering the Thursday night matchup. Come NCAA postseason tournament selection time should the Sun Devils be competing for an at-large bid, this type of dominant win against a quality opponent will serve their case well.
The win also served as Hurley’s 150th win as ASU’s coach. In his now nine seasons in Tempe, he has led the Sun Devils to two NCAA tournament appearances and another first four venture into March Madness. While the occasion called for all smiles, Hurley said he told his players this milestone was a long time coming and should have happened sooner if not for a few games he felt he let slip away. Nonetheless, the accolade was enjoyed by the man who’s spent now just under a decade patrolling the sideline of Desert Financial Arena.
“It was great to share it with the team and the guys who were excited about it,” Hurley said. “I’ve loved coaching in this program and I told the guys I should have had about 20 or 25 more wins. I probably messed some up along the way but I’m happy to be at this number.”
