Arizona State’s offensive struggles this year have been well-documented, with the Sun Devils coming into the night ranked No. 289 in the country in scoring at 69.4 points per game.
Yet, in the second half against Stanford, the ASU’s offense hit a new low. In the last seven minutes of the game, the Sun Devils scored a mere two points, while Stanford continued to score at will offensively.
The Sun Devils ultimately fell 71-62, largely due to the major scoring drought down the stretch.
The Cardinal frontcourt clogged the lanes for the Sun Devils in the second half and forced ASU to hit perimeter shots, which it was unsuccessful in doing.
“When you play against that defense, you have to be able to make some shots to try and stretch the defense,” head coach Bobby Hurley said.
The Sun Devils started the night on fire offensively, jumping out to a 9-0 lead off a trio of 3-pointers. Additionally, ASU finished the first half up 33-29, still shooting at about its season-average field goal percentage at around 43%.
However, the Sun Devils offensive cooled off, as ASU finished the night shooting just 38% from the field and 25% from the three-point line.
During the final seven-minute stretch of the game, ASU had only a 9% field goal percentage on 1 for 11 from the field. Also, the Sun Devils shot 0 for 5 from the 3-point line, thwarting any chances of making a late comeback.
“Credit to them, they closed the game out,” Hurley said. “Their defense bothered us with their zone and their size. We did not create any advantages against them.”
Junior Guard Jamiya Neal was the main contributor offensively for the Sun Devils finishing with 12 points on 50 percent from the field. He led ASU in scoring with ten in the first half but was unable to do enough to carry the load for the Sun Devils down the stretch.
“We were just a little too stagnant on offense and not moving enough,” Neal said. “We have to get stops, get out in transition and ultimately knock down open shots.”
The Sun Devils came into the night last in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage at about 30%, but still have some capable shooters on the roster. Nonetheless, Stanford’s length and size on the defensive end bothered the Sun Devil shooters all night.
“I think we were getting makeable shots,” Neal said. “I think they just weren’t falling. They’re a tall team, so sometimes they can take away certain stuff by just being there and putting their arms up.”
ASU’s identity this season has been on the defensive end of the floor, but their struggles on offense, especially in the half-court, could be the reason the Sun Devils are unable to make a run toward a postseason berth.
Still, the team remains confident in their ability to score when they play through each other and move the ball.
“We look good when we move the ball,” Neal said. I think it is confidence for everybody because we had open shots and chances to break open the game.”
The Sun Devils will have to develop more of a rhythm offensively and knock down shots in their upcoming games if they hope to finish as a top-four seed in the pac-12 tournament and secure a bye.
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