The Arizona State Sun Devils defeated No. 21 ranked Washington State Cougars 73-61 during Saturday’s Pac-12 matchup in Tempe.
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Unlike their overtime loss to Washington on Thursday, the Sun Devils (14-14, 8-9) came out firing against the Cougars. The team was getting to the rim at will and put together an early 18-4 run.
Head coach Bobby Hurley was frustrated with the team’s effort early on against Washington, but that was not the case on Saturday.
Sun Devils get off to strong start, lead Cougars 36-29 at half
They were able to hold Washington State to under 30 first-half points and enter the half with a respectable lead.
Ability to answer
The Cougars (21-7, 12-5) went on a quick 9-0 run to begin the second half and quickly gained the momentum back.
Yet, the Sun Devils immediately answered and put together their own 12-2 run in response.
SMOOTH defense ➡️ offense 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/M05gKahzeo
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) February 25, 2024
Jose Perez led the team in scoring with 16 points, as well as six rebounds and four assists. He was one of six ASU players with at least nine points this game.
Washington State was held to under 40% from the field and just 17% from three. Arizona State did not make it easy on the Cougars, showing relentless effort on defense.
After falling short in overtime to Washington just two days earlier, this was a much-needed victory for the Sun Devils.
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Key Stats
ASU: Field goals: 29-59 (49%), 3 Pointers: 6-14 (43%), Free throws: 9-11 (82%)
Washington State: Field goals: 24-61 (39%), 3 Pointers: 3-18 (17%), Free throws: 10-12 (83%)
ASU: 35 total rebounds, 10 turnovers, 10 fast break points
Washington State: 35 total rebounds, 11 turnovers, 7 fast break points
Next up for Arizona State
ASU next host their in-state rival Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday, Feb. 28 @ 8 p.m. MST.
This is the second of two matchups between the rivals, with the first game being one that ASU would prefer to forget.
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It is worth noting that the No. 4 ranked Wildcats (21-6, 12-4) were defeated by Washington State on Thursday.
The Sun Devils will attempt to split the series with Arizona and keep it rolling with just three regular-season games remaining.
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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_
