Arizona State has now fallen short in nine of its last 12 games following an 81-73 loss to the USC Trojans on Thursday. They now fall to ninth in the Pac-12 with just one regular season game remaining before the conference tournament.
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Like a majority of their games this season, the Sun Devils (14-16, 8-11) did not start it off hot. After going down by as many as nine points midway through the first half, ASU went on a prevailing 14-0 run.
Sophomore guard Adam Miller led all scorers with 11 points through the first 20 minutes of play.
The two Pac-12 teams entered halftime with 32 points apiece.
Coming out of the half, USC (13-17, 7-12) quickly went on a 7-0 run and regained momentum.
Boogie Ellis takeover
USC senior guard Boogie Ellis was a handful for the Sun Devils through the final 20 minutes. Ellis scored 20 second-half points, finishing the game with a game-high 28 and six threes.
Due to injuries, the California native did not suit up in the first matchup between these two teams.
Boogie Ellis led the game with 28 points as USC takes down Arizona State in L.A! ✌️
Highlights ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/DEBwStHqGt
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 8, 2024
An 18-7 second-half run for USC proved to be too much for the Sun Devils.
Similar to much of this season, Arizona State continued to struggle from three-point land. They shot just 3-of-16 from behind the arc, while the Trojans shot an efficient 12-of-24.
Both teams spent a significant amount of time at the free-throw line with 30 attempts each.
Jose Perez led ASU with 25 points, followed by Adam Miller with 15 and Frankie Collins with 11.
Mid-Range Expert 💯@showout_zayy0 operating with his back to the basket 💰
📺 @FS1
📱 https://t.co/cjJg4JYXrA pic.twitter.com/nRGna8nN2f— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 8, 2024
Key Stats
Sun Devils: Field goals: 24-48 (50%), 3 Pointers: 3-16 (19%), Free throws: 22-30 (73%)
Trojans: Field goals: 22-48 (46%), 3 Pointers: 12-24 (50%), Free throws: 25-30 (83%)
Sun Devils: 22 total rebounds, 6 turnovers, 13 fast break points
Trojans: 32 total rebounds, 14 turnovers, 18 fast break points
Next up for Arizona State
In their final regular season game before tournament play, Arizona State will travel to face the UCLA Bruins (14-16, 9-10).
The first matchup between these two teams resulted in a controversial first home loss for the Sun Devils.
While they are against all odds to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, a win to end the regular season would be crucial. They could potentially jump up into the top six with a victory against UCLA.
Tip-off is set for Saturday, March 9 at 9 p.m. MST.
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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_
