(LAS VEGAS, NV) The Arizona State men’s basketball combined scintillating defense, proficient passing and tough offensive rebounding en-route to a 63-57 win against the Oregon State Beavers Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Three Sun Devils scored in double-figures as Warren Washington paced the ASU offense with 15 points. Frankie Collins collected a team-high five assists as the Sun Devils had 17 dimes on 23 made baskets.
Arizona State (21-11, 11-9) used suffocating defense down the stretch, holding Oregon State (11-21, 5-15) to a span of over nine minutes without a basket early in the second half and causing the Beavers to miss 11 of their last 12 shots. Two runs of 10-0 and 7-0 edged Arizona State to victory.
KEY MOMENTS
Arizona State jumped on Oregon State early and went on an 8-2 scoring advantage from 17:22-13:47 in the first half. ASU led 13-6.
The Beavers responded with a 10-0 run from 4:35-1:28, leading 26-24.
Oregon State was held without a basket from 17:12-8:44 – a stretch of 9:38 – in the second half.
In that span, the Sun Devils ripped off a 7-0 run from 12:47-10:38 and forced a Beaver timeout.
The Sun Devils made six straight baskets from 11:27-7:39 into the under-eight media timeout.
Oregon State finished by making one of its last 12 shots from the field.
FIRST HALF
DJ Horne got the Sun Devil offense started, knocking in a three pointer at 18:54, giving Arizona State a 3-2 lead. Oregon State responded, taking a 4-2 advantage.
Desmond Cambridge Jr. snatched a Beaver pass on the top of the key after faking his movement on a ball screen and flipped it to Devan Cambridge on the fastbreak at 17:22 for a 5-4 ASU lead.
Warren Washington snatched the first Arizona State offensive rebound and smashed home a dunk at 16:02, extending ASU’s lead to three, 7-4.
The Sun Devil defense clamped down and forced a Beaver miss. Oregon was forced to respect Horne’s shot fake from the right wing and he swooped to the basket for a layup, 9-4 ASU. It capped a 6-0 Sun Devil run.
Warren Washington hit two free throws out of the media timeout, giving ASU its largest lead of the game at five. The Beavers never found their way into the paint on the following possession as Duke Brennan recorded his first steal of the game, giving way to a jumper by Horne at 13:47.
Cambridge Jr. nailed his first triple of the contest at 10:21, bringing the lead to 16-10.
After four straight Oregon State points, Cambridge Jr. flipped a dime to a cutting Washington for an and-one, making it 18-14 ASU.
Duke Brennan snared an offense rebound and Devan Cambridge flew to the basket for a lefty-layup at 5:19. An immediate steal by Cambridge Jr. gave way to a Horne layup – bringing him to nine points – making it 24-16 Sun Devils at 4:54.
The Beavers ripped off a 10-0 run, briefly, taking the lead on a Jordan Pope triple with 1:28 left in the opening stanza. ASU knotted the contest at 26 on a layup by Cambridge Jr at :58.
He then proceeded to give Arizona State a 29-26 entering the locker room on a catch-and-shoot three pointer with :10 left.
SECOND HALF
Oregon State knotted the score at 29 to open the second half, and both squads traded two point baskets before ASU forced a turnover near the logo.
Cambridge Jr. banged the first Sun Devil triple of the second half at 18:11, giving ASU a 34-31 edge. The Beavers rattled off the next four points for a 35-31 advantage into the under-16 media timeout.
Jamiya Neal punched in a small and earned the Sun Devils the lead back, 36-35, with 14:20 to play on a find from Devan Cambridge.
The Sun Devil defense continued to stifle Oregon State as Neal splashed in a three pointer at 11:27, giving ASU a 41-36 lead. DJ Horne found a lane to the basket and Alonzo Gaffneyslapped down a dunk, forcing a Beaver timeout.
OSU committed its eighth turnover and Cambridge immediately flew to the basket for an and-one, with the free throw extending ASU’s lead to 10. It was 46-36 with 9:49 left.
Both squads traded blows, with ASU receiving baskets from Brennan, three free throws from Washington and two layups from Muhammad into the media timeout at 7:33 with ASU leading 55-43. Oregon State went on a 6-0 run and forced a Sun Devil timeout with 6:01 left.
With offenses stagnant, Gaffney punched in a putback dunk and extended ASU’s advantage back to eight, 57-49. Both teams traded baskets, 59-51 with 4:01 left in regulation.
The Beavers could only muster up two points in the next 1:49 before Cambridge Jr. brought the lead back to eight at 2:12, 61-53.
Arizona State would go on to close out the victory 63-57.
UP NEXT
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball will compete in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament, facing USC Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on ESPN with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton on the call.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Josh Schwam, Graduate Media Relations Intern
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