Sun Devils’ season comes to an end with loss to Oregon in Pac-12 quarters
Mar 9, 2017, 3:47 PM | Updated: 4:03 pm
Oregon's Dillon Brooks, left, grabs a rebound over Arizona State's Shannon Evans II, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 men's tournament Thursday, March 9, 2017, in Las Vegas. Oregon won 80-57. (AP Photo/John Locher)
(AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS (AP) Dillon Brooks scored 22 points, Tyler Dorsey added 21 and No. 5 Oregon pulled away in the second half to beat Arizona State 80-57 Thursday in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals.
Oregon (28-4) tightened up defensively after a tight first half, holding Arizona State to 8-of-33 shooting in the second. That set up transition baskets and allowed the Ducks to pull away from the Sun Devils.
Dylan Ennis had a career-high 12 rebounds and five assists for the Ducks, who move on to face the winner between California and Utah in the semifinals Friday night.
Arizona State (15-18) matched Oregon almost shot for shot in the first half before succumbing to the Ducks’ length and pressure in the second.
“We weren’t as good as we needed to be offensively in the game, bottom line,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said.
Senior Torian Graham had 32 points and made seven 3-pointers, but the rest of the Sun Devils starters were a combined 5 for 30 from the floor.
The Ducks were co-champions of the Pac-12 with Arizona, earning the No. 1 seed in the tourney with their victory over the Wildcats in their lone meeting.
Arizona State had given Oregon all it could when it made the trip to Eugene, losing 71-70 in a game that had 15 lead changes and nine ties. The Sun Devils had just six turnovers in that game, but Brooks scored the final 12 points for the Ducks to earn the victory.
Arizona State needed to shoot well in the rematch to have a chance and did just that early on, scoring its first 12 points on 3-pointers. The Sun Devils continued to hang with the Ducks throughout the first half behind Graham, who was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and had 16 points.
Brooks had 11 for Oregon, which led 34-31 at halftime.
The Ducks gained a little separation to start the second half, opening with an 8-2 run.
Oregon got out to Graham much better and hounded the Sun Devils all over the floor, pushing the lead to 45-33 as Arizona State missed 12 of its first 13 shots.
The Sun Devils had one more run to get within eight, thanks to Graham, but Oregon gradually stretched the lead back out.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon looked every bit the top seed in the conference and a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in the second half, overmatching the Sun Devils at both ends.
Arizona State will have to replace Graham and forward Obinna Oleka next season, but Hurley has a strong recruiting class coming in.
UP NEXT
Arizona State’s season is over.
Oregon faces the winner between Cal and Utah in Friday’s semifinals.
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