With 11:28 left in the second half, Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley needed a change.
His team was down 63-50 to the SMU Mustangs. The Sun Devils were in danger of losing their first home game of the season after being outplayed the past few minutes.
He needed something to spark his players and the more than 6,800 people in attendance at Desert Financial Arena on Wednesday night. So, he turned to a full-court press.
“We were at a point where there was no other choice and the game was slipping away,” Hurley said. “It’s tough to commit and play that pressure the entire game that way… we saved it until we needed it the most.”
That physicality and pressure helped the Sun Devils rally from a 13-point deficit. They closed the game with a 26-11 run, beating the Mustangs 76-74.
Hurley’s front-court press, as explained by him, started with the front and back of the team’s diamond.
In the front is graduate forward Alonzo Gaffney. He led the full-court pressure, cornering SMU and forcing turnovers. The Sun Devils forced turnovers from the Mustangs on three consecutive possessions.
“When you have Gaffney on the ball, he’s kicking the ball out of bounds,” Hurley said. “So, the inbounder doesn’t even know if he can throw the ball in bounds.”
Leading from the back is junior guard Frankie Collins. His job as a “center fielder” according to Hurley was to find the passing lanes.
Moreover, the tenacious press led to many fast-break points for Arizona State, which outscored SMU 22-7 in that category.
The Sun Devils, especially Collins, showcased a skilled transition offense to cap off their comeback. Out of a media timeout down 66-62 with 7:22 left to go, Collins went coast-to-coast to half the lead with a thundering dunk.
Then, he found junior forward Bryant Selebangue. The Canadian big man slammed home the equalizer with 5:25 left to go.
23 seconds later, Collins stole the ball. In the clear, he dunked it, giving the Sun Devils a 68-66 advantage. Collins’ side held the lead for the rest of the game.
“We’re athletic,” Collins said. “If you want to play big, we got guards that can crack down and rebound…We’re going to try to run and get easy baskets.”
Arizona State also showed their physicality throughout the game by getting to the free-throw line. The Sun Devils had 43 free throw attempts, the most this season, and sunk 32 of them. SMU went just 10-19.
The Sun Devils drove to the bucket often, forcing fouls along the way. The home side reached the bonus with just under eight minutes left in the first half and were in the double bonus five minutes later.
Hurley’s side reprised this role in the second half. It returned to the bonus with 8:17 remaining and reached the double bonus a few minutes later.
Graduate student guard Jose Perez led the charge to the basket. He went 12-15 from the free-throw line en route to a 20-point performance. While the 15 free throws were not a career record for Perez, he still took note of them as he has regained his rhythm early in the season after not playing last year.
“I feel like I’m getting a little groove back,” Perez said. “My teammates are trusting me. I’m gelling better, adjusting to their game where I can get them the ball [and] they can give me the ball. I feel like it’s being noticeable on this four-game win streak.”
Perez led the team in points, with Wednesday night’s performance being his third outing with at least 20. Collins was second with 17.
Arizona State may be currently short-handed. Sophomore center Shawn Phillips Jr. and senior forward Zane Meeks are injured. Redshirt junior guard Adam Miller is waiting to hear back from the NCAA about his eligibility waiver.
However, the Sun Devils have been able to manufacture points with their physicality and high-pressure defense. The team has shown signs of life and more importantly, a heart.
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