TEMPE – On the heels of an emotional win over Oklahoma, Arizona State faced a potential trap game against Northern Arizona, which traveled south on I-17 to take on ASU Tuesday night.
In the Sun Devils (8-2) and Lumberjacks’ (4-5) 140th meeting, Bobby Hurley’s squad didn’t lack urgency and instead imposed its will on an undersized NAU squad. Behind freshman center Massamba Diop’s career-high 19 points, ASU dominated the game down low to take down NAU 73-48.
“It certainly wasn’t our best performance,” Hurley said. “I always worry about coming off an emotional game like we did, and then to come back in a couple of days and be ready to answer the bell. The first half was shaky, but I think the inside play was really the difference.”
Sparky scored 40 points in the paint, which is tied for their highest mark of the season, and it started on the opening possession. After Diop won the tip, sophomore forward Santiago Trouet powered his way in the paint for an easy bucket, foreshadowing the night ASU was about to have.
Trouet went on to score 12 points, his fourth double-digit scoring performance, while also bringing in eight rebounds. Graduate student forward Allen Mukeba also put up double-digit points, with eight of them coming in the second half.
Hurley said the trio’s size and physicality were the reasons ASU was able to get it done Tuesday night.
“Massamba made things look really easy tonight,” Hurley said. “Allen’s physicality is a plus, and Santiago knows how to play around the basket. Getting those guys touches is important, because we (have) got to get points in the paint, that’s where everything starts.”
ASU used the paint to jump ahead early, converting on its first five shots down low to jump out to a quick 13-5 lead that vanished as fast as it arose. After a standout showing from Hurley’s bench against Oklahoma, the group came out flat against NAU, which allowed the Lumberjacks to take the lead on a 9-0 run.
“When we went to the bench, it was the complete opposite of Saturday,” Hurley said. “We didn’t get that same production and ended up losing a lead in the first half.”
The Maroon and Gold answered the NAU run with a 14-3 run of their own, and went into the halftime break with a nine-point lead.
In the second half, ASU continued to pile it on, and Hurley was pleased with how his team held and grew the lead.
“We’ve now had two games where we got serious separation in the game,” Hurley said. “It is good to see that we are capable of doing that.”
However, the most impressive feat the Sun Devils accomplished was getting it done with senior point guard Moe Odum having an off night. Odum has led ASU in scoring this season by a noteworthy margin, but did not score until only 30 seconds remained in regulation.
Even when Odum is not contributing on the floor, his impact still echoes throughout the team. When on the bench, Odum looked like another Hurley. He was constantly out of his seat to communicate with his teammates on the floor.
“You could never tell that he was having that kind of game if you were watching from the bench,” Hurley said. “He was interacting with and supporting his teammates in huddles when he wasn’t in the game, and that’s what a real leader does. He doesn’t get hung up on his own personal success and allow that to determine his attitude.”
Odum’s voice is not a shrieking smoke alarm either, and it has been a major reason ASU has been able to get off the a strong start. Sophomore forward Marcus Allen credited Odum for constantly pushing him every day, coming off his injury.
“I needed a teammate voice rather than a coaching voice, and Moe was that,” Adams said.
Adams said Moe gave him all the reassurance he needed and really helped him get back into shape after the injury. In his last two outings, Adams is shooting over 70% from 3-point range while averaging nearly double-digit points.
Now sitting at 2-0 in December, Adams said ASU is set on reaching a new objective: an unbeaten month.
“We want to be undefeated in December,” Adams said. “That’s the goal.”
With three tough tests against Santa Clara, UCLA and Oregon State, the Sun Devils have the chance to pick up some steam ahead of conference play and add to their resume.
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