(Photo: Arizona Sports)
Eight days ago, Marcus Adams Jr. and the Sun Devils were riding the high of a 25-point win over Northern Arizona when he revealed a goal the team set after the Maui Invitational Championship, going undefeated in December.
Three victories into the month, and it seemed like ASU had a real chance. One difficult test stood in its way, a UCLA team hungry to defend its court and regain its spot in the national rankings.
Ultimately, the Sun Devils’ (9-3) lofty expectation came crashing down in a 90-77 loss. The Bruins (8-3) controlled the game, taking the lead 41 seconds into the game and never looking back.
Here’s where the Sun Devils struggled against their former Pac-12 rivals.
Defending Deep
Coming into the game, the Sun Devils allowed 8.6 made 3-pointers per game on 33% shooting. UCLA blew both of those numbers out of the water. The Bruins shot 14 of 26 from beyond the arc, making up 46.6% of their total points.
Every time ASU would cut into this deficit, UCLA would capitalize. The Sun Devils teetered between 16 and five point deficits and in large part due to Skyy Clark. The senior guard was shooting over 60% from deep in December. He stayed on fire, scoring all 18 of his points off 3-pointers.
Following in Clark’s lead, the Bruins bench trio of Trent Perry, Jamar Brown and Brandon Willams made five of seven of their 3-point attempts. Together they scored 22 of the team’s 28 bench points. ASU’s bench scored just 13.
In a game where shot attempts, rebounds and turnovers were nearly equal, leading 3-point percentage 53.8% to 15.4% was more than enough to secure a comfortable victory.
Backcourt Depth
With starting guard Bryce Ford showing up in street clothes for the second straight game, ASU was already thin in the backcourt. It only got worse when sophomore Trevor Best went down after a heavily contested layup. Just three minutes on the court and his night was over.
Head coach Bobby Hurley has been known to play small ball with three guards on the court at a time. Tonight, only three guards saw the hardwood the entire second half. Each of them performed differently, with Anthony “Pig” Johnson exceeding expectations, Noah Meeusen satisfying, and Moe Odum struggling to score.
While all three proved unable to guard the perimeter, it was Odum who tried to take the points back with 3-pointers of his own. Instead of creating a shootout, he missed all seven of his attempts beyond the arc. Because he’s the Sun Devils’ leading scorer, it’s easy to forget that his most comfortable role is as a passer. On a night where his shots seemed forced, his passes never were. Odum dished out nine assists with just two turnovers.
After spending most of his time this season commanding the bench unit, Meeusen adapted to his place with the starters. He shifted his focus from assists to the defensive end. Along with his two steals, the Belgian shot 75% and had the best plus/minus of any of the guards with more than five minutes played.
Finally, the spark that kept ASU competitive, Pig Johnson. He scored 14 of his 17 points after the halftime break. Johnson brought physicality to both ends of the court. He only made three field goals but made all 14 of his free throws, taking the lead in one of the few places ASU excelled.
Free Throw Supremacy
Johnson’s 14 free throws made up the bulk of ASU’s 25 made. For a team that averages 25.5 made free throws per game, that number couldn’t get more average. What isn’t average is that the Sun Devils only needed 26 shots to reach it.
ASU was on the brink of history, making all 25 of its attempts at the line until Odum missed with 1:02 left in the game. According to Fox Sports One, if Odum had made that, it would have been the first time since 1978 that the Sun Devils shot 100% on 15-plus free throw attempts.
Still, attacking the paint has often been one of ASU’s strengths this year and adding 36 points in the paint to 25 made free throws against a great team is an achievement. The Sun Devils rank third in made free throws in the Big 12. That number will continue to rise if freshman Massamba Diop shoots like he did tonight, a perfect five for five.
Next Up
Although its quest for an undefeated month and a spot in the rankings will have to wait, the Sun Devils still have an important last game of the year. They take on Oregon State at home before a two-week layoff leading to Big 12 play.
