Arizona State men's basketball turns back Oregon State in Pac-12 play
The Arizona State Sun Devils took the floor looking for redemption.
ASU got it, turning back Oregon State 79-61 in Pac-12 play Wednesday night at Desert Financial Arena. It marked the first back-to-back wins for the Sun Devils (13-12, 7-7) in five weeks.
When they played the Beavers last month in Corvallis, the Sun Devils turned in one of their worst performances of the season and it capped off a bad weekend as they were blown out the previous game by Oregon.
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This time, the game was tied at 33 at the half but the Sun Devils started the second half with an 11-3 run, going up 44-36 on a pair of free throws by Jose Perez. They led by as many as 21, that advantage coming on a dunk by Shawn Phillips Jr.
Oregon State (11-14, 3-11) dropped to 0-7 in road games and it is 1-19 on the road in the last three seasons.
It marked the 15th straight win by ASU over Oregon State in Tempe. The Sun Devils have also won 12 of the last 15 meetings overall.
Here are some takeaways from the game:
What went right
Rebounding: The Sun Devils outrebounded an opponent for the first time in Pac-12 play and the third time this season in their win over Utah on Saturday. They performed well in that area again Wednesday, which was especially noteworthy because when the teams played earlier this season in Corvallis the Beavers finished with a commanding 47-26 advantage on the boards. ASU turned that around to the tune of a 31-28 advantage. It was rebound-by-committee though with Alonzo Gaffney's five the high for ASU.
Balanced scoring, stong percentage: The Sun Devils had four players in double figures, led by Jamiya Neal with a season-best 21. He was followed by Adam Miller and Perez with 16 each and Frankie Collins with 14. The Sun Devils shot 57.7% (30-for-52) for their best percentage this season. It was also the best in a conference game since a 61.7% against Washington in February of 2019. Neal was an efficient 9-for-14 from the field while Miller was 5-of-8.
Assist total: The Sun Devils registered 17 assists, the fourth most they've had in a game. Miller led the way with five, with Gaffney, Perez and Neal each credited with three.
Fast-break was working: Part of the reason for the high shooting percentage was the Sun Devils' ability to get out in transition for some easy layups and dunks. That was reflected in a 23-4 advantage when it came to fast-break points. When ASU has been stuck in the half court offense, it hasn't tended to go well and they were able to beat the Beavers up and down the floor. They totaled 46 points in the paint.
What went wrong
Turnovers: This isn't usually a category that comes up negative for the Sun Devils but they tallied 15 for the game, nine of those coming in the first half while Oregon State had 14, with just one in the first 20 minutes. ASU was lucky that total didn't hurt them worse as they still finished with an 18-8 advantge in points off turnovers.
They said it
"We were not quick to the ball at their place. They were getting to the 50-50's. They hurt us on the glass for sure at their place. We talked about that this week coming into the game. We were shooting great. We had 30 made field goals in tonight's game so, what I was saying last time. If you're making shots, it gives you a better chance to hang in on the backboards." -- Coach Bobby Hurley on better rebounding effort
"I came off the bench for 60 games or so. It was kind of natural for me. As far as the transition, I trust coach Hurley and I know he has my best intentions at heart so whatever he tells me to do, I'm going to do. He's not doing it out of ill intentions or ill thoughts, he wants the best for me. I'll follow his lead and do what I have to do." - Jamiya Neal on coming off the bench for the first time this season
"I talked to the team about that today in the huddle. When we take good shots and move the ball and play quality basketball, that's when we're our best. When we have games like that it translates on the court. You can see it in our body language. You can see it on the bench. We take better shots. We have to take our one-on-one advantages. That's where we're strong but when we move the ball and get the dominoes falling, it's higher quality shots, better percentages, you have to play with that." -- Adam Miller on more efficient offense.
What to look for next
Ever changing lineup: Wednesday's lineup was the ninth different lineup Hurley has used and the fourth in as many games. Miller was back in the lineup with Neal coming off the bench for the first time this season. While Hurley has opted to start four guards for the balance of the season, this one game the Sun Devils used a larger lineup with 7-footer Phillips Jr. and 6-9 Gaffney both in.
Collins still in pursuit of record: Collins came into the contest four steals away from matching the school's single season record of 76 by Fat Lever in 1981-1982. He had one, giving him 73 and tying him for fourth with James Harden (2008) and Marcell Capers (1993). He still has six regular season games left in addition to whatever the team plays in the Pac-12 tournament.
Next up
The Sun Devils head south Saturday for the rivalry game against No. 5 Arizona (19-5, 10-3) at 7:30 p.m. at McKale Center. It will be televised on FS1. It will be the first of two meetings between the teams with the Wildcats scheduled to visit Desert Financial Arena on Feb. 28.
The teams played three times last season, splitting the regular season games and Arizona defeating the Sun Devils in the Pac-12 tournament.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State men's basketball steamrolls Oregon State for redemption
