TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Freshman forward Koa Peat hit a monster dunk to raise the McKale Center to its feet, seemingly delivering the knockout blow late in the second half.
Arizona State senior guard Moe Odum had other ideas. The 6-foot-2 guard turned back the clock, showing shades of his “Maui Moe” run as he drove into the heart of the defense and knocked down a mid-range jumper while drawing a foul to silence the Arizona crowd.
“In a place like this, and I have been there as a player, struggling in the first half making shots, he just kept competing,” ASU coach Bobby Hurley said. “The second half, he was a different guy. He put us on his back, and that is what real leaders do, guys that have guts, and I am glad he is on my team.”
Still, his efforts were to no avail.
The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) defeated their in-state rival ASU (10-7, 1-3 Big 12) 89-82 at home in the McKale Center on Wednesday night. The Wildcats’ interior dominance helped them stave off a Sun Devils squad that showcased impressive grit and resolve — almost enough to pull off a monumental upset.
After Arizona’s victory, the Wildcats’ coach Tommy Lloyd showed respect to his rivals for the challenge they presented, appreciating the experience it provided his team with.
“I would have been OK if we would have lost,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “Would I have been happy? No. But I am going to be alright. I am built for this. I do not judge myself and my team on whether we are undefeated or not.”
The Sun Devils started off strong, slowing down Peat and matching the Wildcats’ physicality. Additionally, it showcased poise on offense that hadn’t been displayed since their 86-70 win over Oklahoma Dec. 6.
ASU led 39-38 heading into the break, with key contributions from graduate forward Allen Mukeba defensively and freshman center Massamba Diop on the offensive end.
A recurring theme, foul trouble, plagued ASU in the second.
The Maroon and Gold committed 12 of their 22 fouls in the second half. Although the quantity of fouls posed an issue, the distribution of who committed the fouls proved even more costly. Diop ended the game with four fouls and sat out key minutes in the second half alongside fellow front-court starter Mukeba.
The loss of Mukeba, who fouled out with over five minutes to play, doomed a team that relied on his strength and physical play defensively against Peat.
“It is a big factor in our game,” freshman forward Ivan Kharchenkov said about forcing ASU into foul trouble. “Just putting foul pressure on their big guys. Just putting pressure and getting easy points at the basket and free-throw line.”
The Sun Devils allowed 26 free throws while generating 11, only making seven.
Arizona’s depth in the frontcourt encapsulated the end of the beginning for the Sun Devils.
Peat, alongside senior forward Tobe Awaka, combined for 34 of the Wildcats 46 interior points. Arizona’s phenom freshman ended the game 9-for-15 from the field, generating 24 points.
“My shots are not going to fall every game”, Peat said about his early struggles. “My teammates had my back and my coaches and teammates kept instilling confidence in me and that is huge. I am going to do whatever it takes to win.”
The 3-point shooting and defense took a step up for ASU to instill hope on the road.
The Sun Devils went 11-for-25 from deep and got key contributions from Odum and sophomore guard Noah Meeusen, who went 4-for-5 from deep. For Meeusen, it was a huge confidence boost after going 1-for-16 in the prior three games.
The environment also played a big part in Wednesday night’s victory. The Wildcats had a fully sold-out crowd and stayed energized the entire game. While Hurley stepped on the court to argue with officials, fans dressed in red hurled chants toward ASU’s head man.
“I let him know from one coach to the next that I respect him as a human being and a coach,” Lloyd said. “I would hope Arizona fans are classy enough not to make it a regular thing and respect our competition and respect our opponents. If we get beat, you tip your hat to them and move on.”
The Sun Devils will head on the road to face No. 7 Houston Cougars Sunday, Jan 18, at 4:30 p.m. MST. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will travel to Florida to take on the UCF Knights Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. MST.
“If we can bottle what we did tonight and bring that to every Big 12 game, then we will have a chance to compete with anybody,” Hurley said. “I think we showed that tonight.”
Leave a Reply