With a chance to capture its first Maui Invitational Championship since 1994, Arizona State fell short on Wednesday, losing to the University of Southern California 88-75.
After two intense and emotional games against Texas and Washington State, the Sun Devils (6-2) came out with energy in the first half against the Trojans (7-0). However, for the first time this season, that energy faded down the stretch.
“I think we ran out of steam,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley told reporters after the game. “We fought to get back a couple of times now. With about 12 minutes left, I think we were down seven, and that’s when I told the guys ‘Hey, this is our time now. We’ve been here before.’ But it wasn’t meant to be tonight.”
After trading buckets in the first half, Hurley’s bunch entered the intermission tied up with the former ASU assistant Eric Musselman’s squad. ASU senior guard Moe Odum continued to hit timely shots, as he had done throughout the tournament, keeping the first half tight.
Odum averaged 26.3 points and four assists while shooting nearly 54% from 3-point range.
“It was all a really good experience,” Odum said. “Connecting with the guys and bonding with them by taking walks on the beach, talking about life and goals as a team and individually, I think it made us better as a team. It made us gel and made our chemistry a lot better.
“Now knowing more about where everyone else comes from and their background and knowing what they are doing it for, we know we are playing for each other, but now also each other’s families.”
Arizona State came out hot in the first half, taking an early lead after back-to-back and-one conversions from sophomore forward Santiago Trouet. The frontcourt duo of Trouet and freshman center Massamba Diop down low challenged the Trojans’ interior strength early.
Trouet scored nine of his 13 points in the first half, while Diop added 11.
“I know he (Trouet) wanted to win badly, and he is very disappointed right now,” Hurley said. “It’s a tough moment for him (Trouet), but I think he made some really good plays on offense.”
However, the size and strength of USC began to weigh on the Sun Devils in the second half. After being nearly even with Arizona State in rebounds and points in the paint, the Trojans flipped the script down the stretch.
USC scored 12 more points in the paint and grabbed 10 more rebounds than Sparky in the second half. The Trojans went on to outscore ASU by 13 in the final 20 minutes to take home the Maui Invitational Championship.
Graduate student guard Chad Baker-Mazara led the way in the championship game for USC. The Auburn transfer averaged 17.3 points, 2.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds in the tournament, including a game-high 23-point performance against ASU.
The loss caps the Sun Devils’ trip to the Hawaiian islands, where they went 3-1, including an impressive win over the familiar foe of Sean Miller and his Texas Longhorns. Picked last to finish in the Big 12 preseason poll, ASU will return home with optimism surrounding its squad.
“I have used the word resilient a lot to describe this team,” Hurley said. “It’s a team that is going to fight and never give up. We are a bit of an underdog. Nobody thought much of this going into the season, and a lot of people piled on to having no hope for a good season. So far, we are proving some people wrong.”
Leave a Reply