Arizona State was on the road against Washington. Washington came into this game 1-3 in conference play looking to turn things around while ASU was 4-0 in Pac-12 play. Were the Sun Devils able to extend their win streak?
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!First Half
Washington came out strong to start the game. They were up 10-5 with 15:04 left in the half. Keion Brooks Jr and Moses Wood hit early three pointers for the Huskies.
Catch and shoot @mo_birdy!
📺 FS1#TougherTogether pic.twitter.com/Fu48ibUi9x
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) January 12, 2024
Arizona State struggled to find a rhythm early as Washington came out in a zone on defense. ASU was one for three from three point range and Huskies center Braxton Meah did a great job of protecting the rim.
Washington continued to play well and were up 16-9 with 11:39 left in the game. The defensive intensity for ASU intensified at this point in game and they were able to force Washington into a few turnovers.
ASU’s aggressiveness also helped on the offensive end as they were in the bonus with 10:09 left in the half. The Huskies went back into a zone in an effort to force the Sun Devils into shooting three point jumpers.
The Sun Devils were 1/6 from three point range. Despite the slow offensive start ASU was able to stay within striking distance. They were down 26-21 with 5:34 left in the half.
Sahvir Wheeler was 2/2 from three point range, which had to be a shock to ASU. Wheeler shot 17% from three point range going into this game.
The Sun Devils started to find holes in the zone as Jose Perez started to get going by using his size advantage inside. ASU was able to take the lead behind their defense and smart offensive play.
Big Man Has Handles ✋@shawnphillipsj1 jumps the passing lane and converts on the other end 💪
📺 @FS1
📱 https://t.co/cjJg4JYXrA pic.twitter.com/HFFwEqaQHj— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) January 12, 2024
At halftime, Arizona State was up 34-33 over Washington.
Stats At The Half
The leading scorer for Washington was Wheeler. He had 10 points on 3/5 shooting from the floor and 2/2 from three point range.
Meah was also big in the first half for the Huskies. The senior center had eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
ASU was led by Perez with eight points. Jamiya Neal contributed with seven points and four rebounds.
The key to Arizona State’s success in the first half was the turnover battle. They forced Washington into eight turnovers and scored eight points off of those turnovers. The Huskies had zero points off of turnovers in the half.
Second Half
The second half started with the teams exchanging buckets. ASU was up 40-38 with 17:19 left in the game. The Huskies turned the ball over twice in the first few minutes. The Sun Devils scored points off of both of those turnovers.
Washington and Arizona State both struggled to score as the half went along. The game was tied at 42 with 14:59 left.
The Huskies took a page out of ASU’s playbook and really turned up the pressure on defense, forcing the Sun Devils into some ugly possessions. Even with the not so pretty play Arizona State found themselves up 50-49 with 11:30 left in the game.
Washington went on a 11-0 run to take a 60-50 lead with 9:15 to play, behind the play of Brooks, Wood, and Wheeler.
BANGG!
📺 FS1#TougherTogether x @sahvir_ pic.twitter.com/yO4p97Rr4l
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) January 12, 2024
The Huskies did not let up as they extended their lead to 14. They were up, 70-56 with five minutes left in the game.
Washington continued to play well through the end of the game. They won, 82-67.
The Huskies are now 10-6 on the season and 2-3 in Pac-12 play. Arizona State fell to 10-6 and 4-1 in the conference.
Stats of the Game
Washington was led by Sahvir Wheeler and Keion Brooks Jr. Wheeler finished the game with 24 points. He shot 8/11 from the floor and 5/5 from three point range.
Brooks ended the game with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 8/14 from the floor and 3/4 from three.
The leading scorers for ASU were Jamiya Neal and Frankie Collins. Neal had 14 points and Collins finished with 13.
The Huskies shot 13/25 from three and ASU only made four of their 17 three point attempts. This was a big part of Washington outscoring ASU, 49-33, in the second half.
Up Next
Arizona State will be at home against UCLA on January 17th. Washington plays against UCLA next as well. The Huskies will be on the road against the Bruins on January 14th.
