After trailing by as many as 25 points against the Washington Huskies, the Arizona State Sun Devils defied all odds and forced overtime play.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!First-half struggles
The Sun Devils (13-14, 7-9) kept it close until about five minutes left in the first half, trailing by just five points.
That is when the Huskies (15-12, 7-9) went on a 16-0 run to close the half. Arizona State missed eight straight field goals during that stretch.
Washington’s Keion Brooks Jr. and Koren Johnson combined for 26 points in the first 20 minutes of play. The two outscored ASU’s entire team during the first half.
Down at the Break.
The Sun Devils look to turn things around in the second half pic.twitter.com/yAVnNVx7NK
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 23, 2024
The Sun Devils were struggling substantially from the field and were outrebounded by double-digits entering the break.
Magical comeback
Head coach Bobby Hurley switched things up in the second half and sat the entire starting lineup at one point. This proved to work as sophomore Kamari Lands knocked down back-to-back threes, cutting the lead down to 13 and forcing a Huskies timeout.
The Sun Devils team continued to chip away at the Huskies lead and Frankie Collins tied the game up with just under seven seconds remaining, causing overtime.
Frankie Collins sends it to overtime‼️ pic.twitter.com/BxZOBttYSB
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) February 23, 2024
They were able to outscore Washington 51-30 in the second half.
Arizona State could have pulled away in regulation had they converted on free throws. The team missed five free throws in the final minute of second-half play.
Despite this remarkable comeback, the Sun Devils couldn’t hold on in overtime. Trailing 82-80 with 2.4 seconds to go, Shawn Phillips Jr. had an opportunity to send the game into double overtime during the last possession but was unable to do so.
“We wanted to get him (Phillips) the ball. It was a high-percentage area, thought Jamiya (Neal) threw a good pass, Adam (Miller) set a good screen, couldn’t ask for anything more,” Hurley said.
Washington survives Arizona State comeback in wild OT finish in Tempe! Highlights ⤵️@OldTrapper pic.twitter.com/hxe2XvHuym
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) February 23, 2024
Collins led the Sun Devils with 21 points and eight rebounds, along with three steals. The junior is now up to 77 steals on the season, breaking Lafayette “Fat” Lever’s school record for most steals in a single season.
Key Stats
Sun Devils: Field goals: 27-70 (39%), 3 Pointers: 9-24 (38%), Free throws: 19-28 (68%)
Huskies: Field goals: 30-70 (43%), 3 Pointers: 8-30 (27%), Free throws: 16-26 (62%)
Sun Devils: 44 total rebounds, 11 turnovers, 23 fast break points
Huskies: 49 total rebounds, 13 turnovers, 16 fast break points
Sun Devils in for a tough matchup
ASU will next host the Washington State Cougars, who currently stand atop the Pac-12. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Feb. 24 @ 6 p.m. MST.
The Cougars (21-6, 12-4) are on an eight-game winning streak and coming off a three-point victory against No. 4 ranked Arizona.
This will be one of the Sun Devils’ most challenging matchups this season. With just four games remaining, the team desperately needs to put a string of victories together.
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Saleh Awwad is a writer/reporter covering the Arizona State Sun Devils, Phoenix High School Sports, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
