(Maui, HI) Arizona State Men’s Basketball advanced to the 2025 Southwest Maui Invitational Championship Game thanks to a 100-94 defeat of Washington State on Tuesday night.
The Sun Devils (6-1) bounced back and had plenty of juice despite having the latest game of the previous day. They put 100 points up on Washington State (3-4) to clinch a spot in the Maui Invitational Finals. It was an offensive explosion with many cylinders firing, as Head Coach Bobby Hurley‘s team shot 58.9% from the field. ASU is 51-6 (.895) when it shoots 50 percent from the field under Bobby Hurley
Less than 24 hours after capturing the attention of the entire college basketball universe with a 36-point masterpiece, senior point guard Moe Odum had more in store. He backed that up with 26 points and five assists, finishing 6-of-9 from the field including an incredible 5-for-7 from behind the arc. After nailing all nine of his attempts from the line tonight, Odum is now 25-for-27 (92.6%) from the charity stripe over his past two games.
Odum was not alone in contributing towards the triple digit mark. Backcourt mate junior guard Bryce Ford poured in 18 points and collected three rebounds in 28 minutes. He showed another aspect to his game, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 from inside the arc. The guard trio that includes senior Anthony “Pig” Johnson has been hard for opponents to stop. Johnson had his sixth double-digit effort of the season off the bench, finishing with 13 points and some clutch free throws down the stretch.
Bryce Ford shoots a jumper in the win over Washington State at the Maui Invitational/Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
Freshman center Massamba Diop rebounded from a game in which he battled foul trouble, putting together a brilliant performance in the victory. He was active on both ends of the floor, contributing in many ways to help his team win. Diop finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 29 minutes. A big reason why ASU was able to overcome a career scoring output from Washington State guard Ace Glass III was their bench production. The bench continues their strong play, contributing 31 points compared to 24 from their opponent.
Arizona State moves on to play USC later today, scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. MST tip-off with live coverage on ESPN. It is ASU’s first appearance in the finals of the Maui Invitational since 1994, when the Sun Devils won their lone Maui Invitational Championship.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Connor Smith
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