ASU’s 15-point halftime comeback is the largest since 2008 and Colorado’s largest home blown lead since joining the Pac-12 in
(Boulder, CO) Desmond Cambridge Jr.drilled a three-pointer with 2.6 seconds to go as the Arizona State men’s basketball team completed their largest comeback victory since the 2008 season on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes, 60-59.
The Sun Devils (7-1, 1-0) outclassed the Buffaloes down the stretch, holding CU without a field goal over the final 6:40 in regulation. All 11 of Desmond Cambridge Jr.’spoints – including the go-ahead basket – came in the second half.
Playing without star guard Frankie Collins due to a non-COVID related illness, the Sun Devils were led by 18 points from Devan Cambridge, who was followed by the 11 points from his brother. Freshman Austin Nunez earned his first career start for Collins and played a career-high 25 minutes.
KEY MOMENTS
Colorado went on a 8-0 run over 3:33 from 14:41-11:08 in the first half, extending their lead to four, 14-8.
From 13:12-9:32 in the first half, Colorado went on a 12-5 scoring stretch including two three-pointers.
Over the final 1:17 of the first half, the Buffaloes extended their lead to 15 with a 6-0 run.
The Sun Devils went on a 10-1 scoring stretch over 5:31 in the second half from 14:13-8:42 and cut the CU lead to six, 48-32.
With CU leading by 10, 56-46, Arizona State went on a 10-0 run in 3:11 from 5:45 to 2:34 to take the lead for the first time in the second half.
Arizona States’ defense was as advertised, holding Colorado without a basket over the final 6:40 of regulation.
Desmond Cambridge Jr. nailed the game winning three pointer with 2.6 seconds on a find from DJ Horne.
FIRST HALF
DJ Horne got the Sun Devil offense going with a jumper from the left side of the floor at 19:31. Warren Washington then smashed home a dunk with 16:50 to play in the first half.
The squads traded buckets before Devan Cambridge dropped in a layup at 15:56, giving Arizona State an 8-6 lead.
With the Buffaloes leading 9-8, the ASU defense clamped down. From 14:55-12:40, the Sun Devils forced Colorado to 0-4 from the field.
The Cambridge brothers connected on an alley-oop jam with 8:15 to go as Desmond Jr. found Devan on the break. Luther Muhammad knocked down the next Sun Devil basket with 5:39 to play in the opening stanza.
Going into the final media timeout at 3:50, Colorado (4-4, 0-1) were just one of their last 10 from the floor. Over the final 1:17 of the half, Colorado extended their lead to 15 with a 6-0 to close the half, leading 38-23.
SECOND HALF
Desmond Cambridge Jr. cashed in a long two with 19:46 to play in regulation. He then hit a trey at 19:13 to cut the ASU deficit to 10.
Nunez made his presence felt with a tough take to the basket at 15:54. The Sun Devils cut the deficit by four at the first media timeout with 15:37 left to play.
Jamiya Neal skipped into the lane for a layup with 12:30 in the half. ASU snuck to within 10 for the first time in the second half when Devan Cambridge converted an and-one spinning layup on an assist from Desmond Jr., the third Desmond-Devan connection of the contest. ASU trailed 48-40 with 9:29 to play.
Devan Cambridge followed that up with an alley-oop slam at 8:43, forcing a Colorado timeout. It capped a 10-1 scoring stretch over 5:31 14:13-8:42.
Alonzo Gaffney hit his first three of the game with 4:53 left, cutting the Colorado lead to seven, 56-49. Horne then knocked in a jumper at 4:13 to lead ASU to a 7-0 run over 1:33.
Desmond Cambridge Jr. drained a big triple from the logo with 3:12 to go, extending the scoring run 10 and cutting the Colorado lead to two.
After missing the front end of a one-and-one. Desmond found Devan for the fourth time, this one from three and ASU catapulted into the lead, 57-56 with 2:26 left, forcing a Buffalo timeout.
Washington erased a layup on a long Colorado possession with :51 left, keeping it a one-score game and the Sun Devils earned possession.
Desmond Cambridge Jr., picked up a massive steal with :27 left in the game, trailing by two on an inbound. A Colorado foul prompted a Sun Devil timeout.
Following some commotion, Desmond Cambridge Jr. drilled the game-winning three with 2.9 seconds on the clock to put ASU ahead 60-59. The Sun Devils escaped with a victory to win their Pac-12 season opener.
QUOTABLES
Arizona State Men’s Basketball Coach Bobby Hurley
On message coming into second half…
“I thought they were a little more active than we were, a little quicker than we were, and a little more aggressive and impose their will on the game. We just knew we had to amp up our pressure and I think that was the difference. We were very active on defense. Desmond [Cambridge Jr.] got us started in the second half, he hit a couple shots and then we started gaining some confidence. We talked about just chipping away at it under each four-minute segment, just trying to close the gap a little more and a little more and say in the fight.”
On coaching the last possession…
“Sometimes you think about calling a timeout in that situation, but it appeared that we had an advantage and when the pass ahead to DJ [Horne], it shows the evolution of a guy like that because he could score yet he drove at baseline and found his teammate and the rest is history. Big time shot to Desmond [Cambridge Jr.] so glad we could do this without Frankie [Collins]. He wanted to be with us. Obviously couldn’t because of illness, we’re just excited about the potential to group.”
NOTABLES
Tonight’s 15-point comeback victory marked the largest halftime comeback in the Bobby Hurley era. It is the second time in ASU’s seven wins this season that they have trailed at the half (VCU/-7).
It is the third largest halftime comeback for Sun Devil Men’s Basketball since the 1989-90 season. Arizona State has come back from 16 and 17 point halftime deficits on one occasion each.
The 15-point comeback is the largest for ASU men’s hoops since the 2008-09 campaign, when No. 20 Arizona State trailed by 16 at the break against IUPUI on 12/14/08. They went onto win 59-58 (OT).
The Sun Devils have 35 halftime comeback wins under coach Hurley, including 16 on the road.
The 15-point blown lead at home more than doubles the largest such for Colorado since they joined the Pac-12 Conference prior to the 2011-12 season. Prior to tonight, their largest home blown halftime lead was seven on two occasions.
Arizona State dished out 16 assists in the contest. They now have 57 in their last three games (20/Grambling State, 21/Alcorn State).
ASU has won the turnover battle in both road games this season. They forced 20 Buffalo giveaways tonight to 10 of their own and had a +5 turnover differential at Texas Southern in the other road game this year.
The win moves Arizona State to 7-1, the best eight game start since the 2018-19 season, when the Sun Devils were also 7-1.
Top scorers have been stifled by the Sun Devil defense. With the exception of the season opener – because there was no entering leading scorer – ASU has held the opponent’s leading scorer to under their season average. K.J. Simpson entered the game averaging 17.1 PPG and scored 13 against ASU.
Get down the floor and work the ball inside; Arizona State has won or drawn six of the last seven battles in points in the paint. Tonight, they led 26-20 in the paint. The only even draw came against No. 20 Michigan at the Barclays Center.
Fast break efficiency has been key for ASU, as the Sun Devils have won the need for speed five times through eight games.
Arizona State is now 28-21 in games decided by three points or less in the Bobby Hurley era (beginning 2015-16) 45-35 in games decided by six points or less in the same period.
For the first time since Colorado joined the conference, ASU has won back-to-back matchups on the road against the Buffaloes.
ASU is 6-1 in Pac-12 season openers that are also on the road since 2006-07.
The Sun Devils improve to 10-14 all-time against Colorado.
ASU has won its Pac-12 opener twice in the last three seasons for the first time since 1978-80 (wins in 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons).
Freshman Austin Nunez made his first career start in the absence of Collins.
The brotherly love was evident tonight as Desmond Cambridge Jr. found his brother Devan four assists, a career high in brother-to-brother connections.
All 11 points from Desmond Cambridge Jr. came in the second half.
UP NEXT
Arizona State will look to move to 2-0 in Pac-12 play since the 2012-13 campaign Sunday as they host Stanford at Desert Financial Arena. Tipoff is set for 5 o’clock.
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