TEMPE – When a team’s reliable scorer struggles from the field, like West Virginia’s senior guard Honor Huff, it usually has trouble finding answers offensively. On Wednesday night, however, a new star emerged for the Mountaineers.
Senior forward Treysen Eaglestaff entered the road matchup against Arizona State averaging 9.9 points per game. He left Desert Financial Arena with one of the best performances of his season, scoring 23 points and knocking down six 3-pointers to put his name on the Big 12 map and capstone his offense’s explosion.
Arizona State men’s basketball (10-9, 1-5) returned home after a disappointing two-game road stretch against top-10 opponents Arizona and Houston. The Sun Devils suffered another setback, falling 75-63 to West Virginia (13-6, 4-2), as 3-point shooting struggles plagued them, particularly in the second half.
After building a 26-13 lead nearly 12 minutes into the game, the Sun Devils failed to find separation or offensive rhythm. Eaglestaff buried a second-chance three, sparking a Mountaineers run that included four more triples, capped by a buzzer-beater from Huff.
A "worst case scenario " for a growing stagnate ASU offense. After getting its first FG in nearly 4 minuets, the Sun Devils are met with a Honor Huff triple to end the half from way downtown.
— Brennan Bucher (@BrennanBucher) January 22, 2026
ASU getting frustrated, but they hold the lead over WVU 37-35. @InfernoIntel pic.twitter.com/qjPmZ0HbXy
“I think it was one of our best starts,” sophomore forward Santiago Trouet said. “There’s a big difference between going into the half up five and then they make that three, you’re only up two, and they feel good about themselves. That was a key moment that brought our energy down.”
Following the momentum-shifting shot, Arizona State could not slow the barrage from beyond the arc. The maroon and gold’s defense quickly nabbed three steals and held their opposition to a 44% field goal percentage.
An energized defensive unit entered the raucous arena, and a deflated home team walked off the court.
“We discussed in huddles why certain things weren’t done and why we didn’t run the play we wanted,” coach Bobby Hurley said. “The players on the floor aren’t communicating to get everyone on the same page.”
Mountaineers first-year coach Ross Hodge earned his first road win away from Morgantown and credited his team’s second-half execution following Huff’s improbable shot.
“Early, they were just faster and quicker than us,” Hodge said. “In the second half, we did a better job executing what we were trying to do.”
West Virginia made five 3-pointers in the second half, including a contested, shot-clock-beating triple from senior guard Jasper Floyd. Arizona State made none, a statistic that defined the breakdown from the perimeter.
“They suck the life out of you,” Hurley said. “If you can’t guard their shooters and you lose guys, they start hitting threes. They slow the game down, and they’re very methodical.”
Arizona State will look to rebound Saturday, January 24, at 8 p.m. MST, in its home matchup against Cincinnati, a team that shoots around 30% from 3-point range and ranks last in the conference in that category.
“If you don’t make shots, you’re not going to win in the Big 12,” Trouet said. “We’ve just got to get in the gym and shoot more.”
Leave a Reply