After an embarrassing loss to Arizona and a gut-wrenching loss against Washington, it seemed Arizona State like head coach Bobby Hurley had lost the locker room with morale plummeting rapidly.
However, the Sun Devils played one of their most complete games against Washington State and stunned the No. 21 Cougars 73-61.
Washington State was hot coming into the game, winning eight in a row to vault them into contention for first place in the Pac-12 and fresh off a win over No. 4 Arizona in Tucson.
Yet it was the Sun Devils started the game hot jumping ahead by a score of 18-6 behind aggressive play from junior point guard Frankie Collins.
After Collins had to exit for a few minutes due to being shaken up after taking a shot to the face, the Sun Devils leaned on junior guard Jamiya Neal who matched Collins’ point total at the half with nine.
ASU’s defense flustered the Washington State offense early, holding them to just 29 points in the first half on 40 percent shooting.
They also created havoc in the backcourt, forcing nine WSU turnovers in the half. The Cougars came into the night averaging only 10.5 turnovers a game.
“I thought it was possibly the best defense we’ve played of the season,” Hurley said. “You can see why they’ve had the success they’ve had, but our defense was up for the challenge tonight.”
However, in the second half, the Cougars came out with confidence offensively. They started the half on an 8-0 run, and regained the lead after not leading since the first two minutes of the game.
Bobby Hurley’s squad responded to the Washington State run with a 10-2 run of their own, as the Sun Devil lead grew to seven at one point in the first ten minutes of the second half.
The Cougars did not go down easy, but down the stretch, ASU received contributions from the whole lineup to help pull away by a final score of 73-61.
With the game still in the balance, junior guard Adam Miller sunk two clutch 3-pointers, not allowing the Cougars to mount any comeback.
“We need guys to make big shots at timely moments and he was able to do that,” said Hurley.
Additionally, graduate student senior Alonzo Gaffney brought a combination of energy and effort off the bench, which sparked ASU’s strong play on both ends of the floor.
“The best thing I saw tonight was Alonzo Gaffney missing a layup and continuing to play and fight,” Hurley said. “That symbolized why we were good tonight because he didn’t give up on the play and he took the ball away from them, laying it up and in.”
Matching Gaffney’s energy off the bench was junior forward Bryant Selebangue. He shot an efficient 4-5 from the field, adding nine points and seven rebounds.
Selebangue’s effort on the glass helped create second-chance opportunities, as he snagged four offensive rebounds and added to the total of 16 second-chance points for ASU.
“Same mindset as I have every game, making sure that when I come in I bring instant energy,” Selebangue said. “I always tell myself something that gets me going is the offensive rebound. I know that’s going bring a spark to the team.”
The Sun Devils continued to rely on their veterans with with the guard trio of Collins, Neal and graduate student Jose Perez taking control in the clutch.
Perez finished as the team’s leading scorer with 16 points on the night. The senior used his size and experience to get to the free throw line, knocking down seven free throws.
“I feel like if I have a one-on-one matchup it’s a nightmare, but if you bring two I’m probably going to be able to dice you up and find some shooters,” Perez said.
Another factor towards the end of the game was the crowd, who showed up for the Sun Devils despite their recent struggles. Both the players and head coach Bobby Hurley acknowledged the crowds presence after the game.
“Very pleased that the crowd was behind us, and I’m hoping for a lot of gold in the arena on Wednesday night,” said Hurley.
The Sun Devils now set their sights on a matchup with in-state rival Arizona in the final home game of the season. Hurley’s squad will be looking to avenge a 105-60 loss that they suffered in Tuscon a few games ago and is hungry to prove that they are capable of making a run in the Pac-12 tournament.
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