Sun Devils Fall in Pac-12 Opener to Washington State

The Arizona State men's hoops team could not get the victory in their return to Desert Financial Arena after being on the road for the last couple of weeks. The Sun Devils fell to Washington State 51-29.

During the first half ASU could not score but kept it close by holding the Cougars for more than 11 minutes without making a basket. That helped Bobby Hurley squad to respond to the initial 10-0 run by Washington State with a 10-2 run that made the score 12-10. WSU went without a point from 17:25 to 6:01.

In the second half, ASU improved their numbers led by DJ Horne, who scored 12 points with two three-pointers and adding three more field goals, one of them the last basket of the game on a reverse lay-up. 

On the defensive end, the top performer was Enoch Boakye, who led the Sun Devils with eight rebounds and three blocks in 17 minutes.

ASU will play again on the road at the Oregon Ducks on Sunday (Dec. 5) at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network.

ARIZONA STATE COACH BOBBY HURLEY
"I'd certainly give credit to Washington State's defense, I thought it was outstanding. That being said, it was disappointing for us on offense. I've had a lot of teams here that could put some points on the board. Tonight was as ineffective an offensive performance as I've ever been a part of ever, as a player and a coach. It's disappointing, epically bad, so we have to figure out how to do better.

"I have to watch it (the game) again, and I'm just stunned really at how bad the game was. In the first half, they (Washington State) were really struggling to score, and we were trying on defense, it was not like we weren't competing. We were making the miss that usually gives you some confidence to go the other way and make something happen. We missed lay-ups…when you do have a chance to get a wide open jump shot against a very good defensive team, you gotta make it, and we didn't. And then free throws, again, missed all six in the first half. We scored 10 points, that's dreadful, really dreadful. And still down eight...I was like "wow", we could play that bad and be down eight. That had to be encouraging for the second half, but we were not able to be much better in the second half."

WASHINGTON STATE COACH KYLE SMITH
"I'm really proud of the way our guys competed, it was obviously a really odd game. But we played really well and it was a great defensive effort. I didn't expect that at all but I'm really pleased."

On what went wrong offensively in the first half
We got off to a 10-0 start. ASU's quickness has always given us a lot of problems, we were just trying to survive and not turnover. We had nine turnovers, we missed four free throws, we missed the front end on the one-on-one, but we stayed in there and sustained it by just guarding them back."

On what it says about their defense to only score 18 in the first half
{It's tremendous. We thought going in this year we would be really good defensively, and we haven't been for whatever reason. Second half of the Eastern Washington game was a really poor effort on our part, we gave up 47 in the second half to them. We regrouped and it's nice having Noa (Williams) back. He brings a lot, there's a lot of areas he helps us in both offensively and defensively. Like I said, anywhere on the road and Pac-12 is always a joy."

ASU PAC-12 OPENERS SINCE PAC-12 EXPANSION (2011-12 TO PRESENT)
WSU 51, ASU 29 (Dec. 1, 2021)
ASU 70, @California 62 (Dec. 3, 2020)
@#25 Arizona 75, ASU 47 (Jan. 4, 2020)
Utah 96, ASU 86 (Jan. 3, 2019)
@#17 Arizona 84, #3 ASU 78 (Dec. 30, 2017)
ASU 98, @Stanford 93 (Dec. 30, 2016)
#4 Arizona 94, ASU 82 (Jan. 3, 2016)
@#8 Arizona 73, ASU 49 (Jan. 4, 2015)
Washington 76, ASU 65 (Jan. 2, 2014)
ASU 55, Utah 54 OT (Jan. 2, 2013)
@Arizona 68, ASU 51 (Dec. 31, 2011)

ASU VS. WAZZU UNDER BOBBY HURLEY (6-5)
WSU 51, ASU 29/Dec. 1, 2021
ASU 64, WSU 59/Mar. 10, 2021 (Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas)
ASU 77, WSU 74/Feb. 27, 2021
ASU 83, WSU 74/Mar. 7, 2020
@WSU 67, ASU 65/Jan. 29, 2020
WSU 91, ASU 70/Feb. 7, 2019
#25 ASU 88, @WSU 78/Feb. 4, 2018
@WSU 86, ASU 71/Feb. 18, 2017
WSU 91, ASU 83/Jan. 29, 2017
ASU 67, @WSU 55/Feb. 6, 2016
ASU 84, WSU 73/Jan. 14, 2016 

PAC-12 OPENER NOTES: ASU opened Pac-12 play at home for just the fifth time in the past 14 seasons...Bobby Hurley is now 2-5 in Pac-12 openers with wins last year at California and at Stanford on Dec. 30, 2016...ASU is 3-3 in its past five Pac-12 openers that tipped in Tempe...ASU is 12-32 in Pac-12 openers. Coaches prior to Bobby Hurley were 10-27...ASU is 4-10 in Pac-12 openers the past 13 seasons.

ASU HEAD COACHES IN PAC-12 OPENERS
Bobby Hurley (2-5)
Herb Sendek (3-6)
Rob Evans (1-7)
Don Newman (1-0)
Bill Frieder (1-7)
Steve Patterson (1-3)
Bob Weinhauer (1-2)
Ned Wulk (2-2)