The Arizona State Sun Devils (11-7) advance to 5-2 in conference play following an 82-67 win against the USC Trojans (8-11) Saturday.
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After taking their first home loss of the season in Wednesday’s controversial game with UCLA, the Sun Devils put it behind them and got back on track.
What gave ASU the edge Saturday was their gritty defensive play. The team forced 22 turnovers and scored 24 points off those turnovers. Junior guard Frankie Collins was a pest defensively once again, finishing with six crucial steals for the Sun Devils.
FRANKIE COLLINS! 🔥 Steal and SLAM! @Frankiecollins0 x @SunDevilHoops pic.twitter.com/ZjRVt9uAfN
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 20, 2024
Despite being outrebounded by the Trojans, ASU stayed resilient and true to their game. After USC cut the lead down to just three with a little over 10 minutes to go, the Sun Devils put together a dominant 26-9 second-half run to extend their lead.
Facing a Trojans team that has struggled greatly on the road this season, ASU and its fans took advantage of that.
Real solid crowd here at DFA. Massive understatement to say ASU needs a W today. pic.twitter.com/uDJnPseEnE
— Joe Healey (@JoeHealey42) January 20, 2024
Key Stats:
ASU: 34 total rebounds, 9 turnovers, 24 points off turnovers
USC: 44 total rebounds, 22 turnovers, 8 points off turnovers
ASU:Â Field goals: 30/70 (42.9%), 3 Pointers: 8/26 (30.8%), Free throws: 14/19 (73.7%)
USC: Field goals: 27/58 (46.6%), 3 Pointers: 4/15 (26.7%), Free throws: 9/16 (56.3%)
Next Up For Arizona State
This was a pivotal victory for ASU considering it was their final home game of the month. The team will face off against Oregon and Oregon State on the road next week. Oregon will be a tough task as the Ducks are currently ranked first in the Pac-12.
ASU wins 82-67 and heads to Eugene for an all important matchup against Oregon. @SunDevilDaily pic.twitter.com/O4jcXmkYK7
— Landin Jeffrey (@Landin_Jeffrey5) January 20, 2024
The Sun Devils will need to pull out some road wins in this month and a half to enter March Madness play comfortably.
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Saleh Awwad is a writer/reporter covering Phoenix High School Sports, Arizona State Sun Devils, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
