(Tucson, AZ) One of the most storied rivalries in college basketball witnessed the latest installment of thrills and memorable moments as Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Arizona State Men’s Basketball sunk the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats on a halfcourt heave at the buzzer, 89-88, Saturday at the McKale Memorial Center in Tucson.
The astonishing scenes were exacerbated by comeback heroics and tense momentum swings. In front of a hostile, sold-out crowd, Arizona State (20-9, 11-7) resisted an 11-point second half swing, trailing by as many as 10 with 6:30 left in regulation.
From that juncture, the Sun Devils allowed just one field goal and finished the contest on a 21-10 scoring advantage.
After Arizona (24-5, 13-5) center Oumar Ballo went 1-2 from the free throw line with 2.9 seconds to go, Cambridge Jr. launched from beyond halfcourt and connected on one of the biggest shots in program history. He paced the Arizona State offense with 19 points and was tailed by DJ Horne with 18. Five men put double-digit scoring tallies for the Sun Devils.
KEY MOMENTS
Jamiya Neal had a personal 5-0 run to cap seven straight points for Arizona State in the first half, giving the Sun Devils their largest lead of the opening stanza, 44-40 with 1:02 remaining.
Arizona had the opportunity to expand its 10 point lead with 6:30 left, but went 0/4 from the field and allowed ASU to pull within two with 2:04 left.
Trailing by eight with 5:09 to play, ASU went on a 9-2 scoring stretch over 2:32 from 4:56-2:24, including two Desmond Cambridge Jr. three pointers and no made field goals for the Wildcats.
Devan Cambridge snatched the basketball from an unaware Azuolas
Tuebelis, giving way to a massive triple by Cambridge Jr. with 2:24 to play, cutting ASU’s deficit to just one, 82-81.
DJ Horne nailed a go-ahead triple with 1:49 to play, giving the Sun Devils’ its first lead since 19:50 in the second half.
The most key moment of the season to this point came as time expired, when Cambridge Jr. buried a halfcourt shot to win the game, 89-88.
FIRST HALF
Devan Cambridge got the Arizona State offense going with a triple on the Sun Devils’ first possession at 19:38. Following an Arizona layup, DJ Hornebanged a three pointer, making it 6-2 Sun Devils.
The squads traded blows until Desmond Cambridge Jr. nailed an off-balance jumper at 16:46 and Horne swopped in for a layup at 16:29 for a 12-9 ASU advantage.The Wildcats went up by as many as five after an 8-0 run before Alonzo Gaffney hit a trey from the top of the key. Then, following a Wildcat layup, Jamiya Neal nailed his own three, cutting the deficit to one, 21-20, at the under-12 media timeout.
The Sun Devils took the lead back on a layup by Duke Brennan at 10:21 on a find from Cambridge Jr., 22-21. Heading into the under-eight media break at 7:50, the score was knotted at 29.
Following two free throws by the Wildcats, DJ Horne knocked in a jumper at 7:36, re-tying the contest at 31.
Trailing by three, Warren Washington slipped to the rim for his second basket of the game on Horne’s fourth assist with 2:27 left in the opening stanza, ASU trailed by one, 40-39.
Out of a Sun Devil timeout, Neal banged his second three pointer off of a Devan Cambridge offensive rebound and assist, 42-40 Sun Devils at 1:49.
Neal was hot, getting a steal and layup to make it 44-40 at 1:02. Following an Arizona layup, Arizona hit a triple at the horn, going into the half with Arizona State leading 46-44.
SECOND HALF
Two straight threes for Arizona to open the second half gave them a 51-45 advantage, but an offensive rebound by Devan Cambridge gave way to a Horne three pointer at 18:32, making it 51-49 Arizona.
Two free throws at 16:50 knotted it at 53.
Horne’s sixth assist came on a Washington slam at 16:18, giving the Sun Devils a 55-53 lead. ASU took a 55-53 edge into the media timeout.
The Wildcats caught fire and capitalized on a couple Sun Devil miscues, reaching a game-high six point lead with 12:54 to play, 65-59. ASU’s transition defense forced a key miss from long range by Pele Larsson.
On the ensuing ASU possession, Washington hit a free throw jumper, cutting the deficit back to four, 65-61.
After the WIldcats countered with a basket, Washington scored his second straight basket on a drop-step layup. The Wildcats immediately countered with another layup, 69-63 Arizona with 11:08 on the clock.
Gaffney drilled his second three with 10:14 to go and ASU still trailed 69-66. The Sun Devil defense forced a miss on the next possession. The Sun Devils snapped a cold-spell with a Washington basket at 8:07 making it 71-68 Wildcats.
The Wildcats earned a game-high eight point advantage into the media timeout at 6:48 on the clock.
Trailing by double-digits for the first time, ASU rattled off four straight points by Cambridge brothers to make it 78-70 with 5:25 left, forcing a Wildcat timeout at 5:15.
Back down by eight, Desmond Cambridge Jr. drilled his first triple of the game, a momentum changer at 4:56. The Wildcats still led 80-75. Horne drew contact at the rim at 4:00, getting to the line and hitting one, ASU still trailed by four.
After the Wildcats hit two free throws, Washington hit two free throws at 3:15, making it a four point game, 82-78 Arizona led.
Devan Cambridge ripped the ball from Ballo at 2:31 and fed it to his brother on the wing as Desmond Cambridge Jr. buried a three pointer with 2:24 left, cutting the deficit to one, 82-81. to cut it to one.
With Oumar Ballo on the bench, Washington slipped by Tubelis at 1:17 and gave ASU the edge back, 86-85.
After Ballo missed the front end of a one-and-one, Desmond Cambridge Jr. drilled the biggest shot of the Arizona State Men’s Basketball season. He buried a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to win the game, and give the Sun Devils a critical and massive road victory, 89-88.
QUOTABLES
Arizona State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Bobby Hurley
Opening Statement…
“As you might imagine, just a lot of euphoria. That was a heck of a game. I’ve been involved in playing Arizona for a number of years now, this is just an epic game. Just get the quality of the game. This is very high level, very well played and we’re a very good defensive team and that’s the best we could do. So a lot of credit to them. They’re a really good program; one of the top teams in the country. So to come out here and do what we did today was pretty special.”
If this game was a season-defining win…
“I hope people are watching to see the level of the game. That’s what the postseason is about. They want teams that could perform like that on a national stage. And I think you saw two teams that you know, should be in the postseason.”
On where this game ranks as a player and a coach:
“It’s hard to share that exactly. I’ve had games under three second games as an amateur and you know Cambridge is amazing. He did this in the first half against UCLA. It’s so easy to him now.”
Arizona State Men’s Basketball Guard Desmond Cambridge Jr.
On how he feels…
“”I still don’t know how to feel. That was definitely the craziest experience, the best game I have ever been apart of. It literally hasn’t even set in yet.”
On what it does for the team’s confidence moving forward…
“It was a really big confidence booster, was what we needed. We knew that we were going to have to play every possession, that no matter what they were going to keep coming for us and we had to come back strong. Beating a team like that, in the way that we did, you can’t even put into words how much that helps us and everyone in the locker room for down the stretch and other big games left.
On the mindset going down 10 in the second half…
“That’s the thing I was just touching on. Staying resilient, poised. Being able to stand up when they knock you down. We grew so much here. We didn’t have Austin Nunez, so that was for him too
Arizona State Men’s Basketball Guard DJ Horne:
On where it ranks on best games he’s ever played in…
“By far the best one in my career. That’s for sure.”
On the resiliency of the team…
“It definitely gives us a lot of confidence, especially with these next two tough games on our schedule. To do it against a team like Arizona, especially with our backs up against the wall as far as where we are in our season. I think this is good for us and give us motivation.”
UP NEXT
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will continue a key stretch to end the regular season as they hit the road for Westwood to face the No. 4 ranked UCLA Bruins. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m. MST on ESPN.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Josh Schwam, Graduate Media Relations Intern
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