A monumental defensive effort was required from the Sun Devils in order to claim a victory on Tuesday, as they were going up against an offensive averaging 82 points per game against elite competition. ASU held Texas Tech to just 67 points and moved to 8-0 when holding opponents to under 70 this year. It was a second half shutdown that proved to be the difference, as the Red Raiders managed to shoot only 35.7% (10-of-28) in the second half.
In a gym filled with future NBA Draft Lottery picks, it was Sun Devil point guard Moe Odum that stood out among them all as the best player on the floor. He delivered his ninth 20-point performance of the season. In a matchup featuring two of the nation’s best point guards, it was Odum and his Arizona State squad getting the better of potential All-American Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson. Odum was an efficent 6-of-12 from the field on his way to a 23-point performance highlighted by a 8-of-8 effort from the free-throw line.
It was pure effort on the defensive side of the ball that propelled the Sun Devils to this statement win. Due to an injury to junior guard Bryce Ford and junior forward Andrija Grbovic on a minutes restriction (illness), Arizona State was forced to utilize a limited rotation. It did not stop them from relentlessly pressuring the Red Raiders, resulting in 17 Texas Tech turnovers. ASU turned those mistakes into 21 points off turnovers (21-6 edge in the category). Six players finished with at least one steal as the changing defenses constructed by Coach Hurley’s staff paid dividends.
Odum was not alone in coming through for the home faithful that showed up to support their squad late on a Tuesday night. Freshman center Massamba Diop had yet another productive performance, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. He now has two or more blocks in eight straight games. Pig Johnson came off the bench to provide his usual spark, contributing 11 points and three rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Santiago Trouet has back-to-back games with 10 or more points. Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen dished out a team-high 6 assists and played a season-best 38 minutes. The Sun Devils are back on the road for a pair of games, the first of which has them playing at Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 PM MST.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Connor Smith
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