Typically struggling college basketball squads don’t draw in massive crowds for their midweek matchups. This rings especially true for a team like Arizona State (13-15), which has limped its way through Big 12 play (4-13) and lost seven-straight home games coming into its matchup against No. 25 Brigham Young (20-8, 11-6 Big 12).
However, on Wednesday night, Desert Financial Arena saw more fans than usual for a weeknight tilt.
But the seats weren’t all striped with the home team’s maroon and gold colors. Rather, a sea of blue flooded the Sun Devil’s home sanctuary, as the red-hot Cougars came to town with a horde of visiting fans in attendance, looking to extend their four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, ASU entered the night devoid of a home win since Jan. 4, and clearly hobbled.
Already shorthanded with freshman forward Jayden Quaintance (leg) and senior point guard Alston Mason (illness) both out of the lineup, the boisterous road crowd only further fueled the train of adversity headed ASU’s way.
Despite coming into the night riding a recent winning streak, BYU’s shaky road record (4-5) left room for optimism for the Sun Devils to pick up their first home win in nearly two months.
Yet, any sliver of hope Sparky had heading into the night proved to be short lived. The Cougars bombarded ASU with a whopping 17 3-pointers en route to a 91-81 win to hand the Sun Devils their eighth straight loss at home.
BYU’s fans made themselves known all night long. Their loud chants and cheers throughout the contest provided the grand crescendo for what’s turned into an abysmal stretch at home for ASU.
The team’s struggles on its home floor has left a sour taste in the mouth of senior guard Adam Miller.
“It really is depressing honestly,” Miller said. “Not taking care of home court, because you want to give the fans a reason to come here every day and we didn’t do that.”
The Sun Devils have maintained just a 1-8 home record throughout conference play–a recipe for disaster in a conference that boasts raucous home environments that make winning on the road difficult.
“We have to figure out how to play better here [at home], but we were shorthanded in this game,” head coach Bobby Hurley said. “There were several other games this year that we had no business losing here.”
Just over one week earlier, Mason echoed Hurley’s remarks about how close losses at home earlier in the season have come back to bite ASU.
“We’ve given up a lot of games where it’s come down to two, three, four or five points,” Mason said last Tuesday after the team’s 80-65 home loss to Houston. “Those are the ones that hurt the most … When we [are] giving up games at home like that it lingers a little bit more than when you lose on the road.”
Still, after the game, Hurley offered a message of appreciation to his fans who continue to support the team despite the rough patch.
“I thought it was a good crowd,” Hurley said. “They supported us [tonight], and I’m glad they did. We appreciate their support.”
With only one home game remaining–March 8 against No. 10 Texas Tech–the Sun Devils’ senior day stands as the last chance for ASU to pick up a home win before the conclusion of the regular season.
But first, Arizona State will head out to Salt Lake City to take on Utah at 5 p.m. MST on Saturday.
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