Sun Devils outlast USC in Tempe
Feb 26, 2012, 4:09 AM | Updated: 4:11 am
TEMPE — No, the scoreboard wasn’t broken. It was just stuck. For
a stretch of 5:19 of the second half, ASU held a 53-52 lead over
USC at Wells Fargo Arena.
Then, with the shot clock running down, Arizona State point guard
Chris Colvin hit a circus shot off the window, getting fouled in the
process with :19 left. Colvin hit the free throw, and that’s the way it
ended, with Arizona State downing the Trojans 56-52, breaking a
four-game losing streak and sweeping the season series over SC in
the process.
Jordan Bachynski had a solid game with 19 points and 9 rebounds
and Trent Lockett contributed 11 points for the Sun Devils.
Freshman Byron Wesley led USC with a career-high 22 points.
What went right for ASU?: The defense, plain and simple.
The Sun Devils held USC without a field goal for the last 11:16 of
the game (0-for-12). USC was 8-for-24 (33%) in the 2nd half, after
shooting 46% in the first half.
When it was over: When Colvin’s free throw that capped
his three-point play fell through the net with :19 left. ASU didn’t
rest on defense though, not allowing USC to get a good look at the
basket as both Wesley and Maurice Jones missed three-pointers in
the last :04.
Who stepped up for ASU?: Bachynski, with help from the
rest of the team was able to exploit his size advantage from the
outset. The Canadian sophomore scored ASU’s first 6 points of the
game, and continually got to the free throw line, hitting 7 of his 11
attempts.
Stat of the Game: There are two that stand out really.
First, the Sun Devils limited the Trojans to just 2 offensive
rebounds, and one of those came in the last :05 of the game when
USC was scrambling offensively. Secondly, the Devils improved in
the turnover department. They did commit 15 overall, but only 5 of
those occurred in the 2nd half, when the Sun Devils had very little
wiggle room. ASU shot just 37.5% from the floor after halftime.
They said it: “My mom came to me before the game and
said to me ‘please, just play well. Don’t have a bad game while I’m
in town.” – Bachynski on playing in front of his parents, who were in
from Calgary to watch their son play.
What’s Next?: ASU closes out the regular season next
Sunday in Tempe against the Arizona Wildcats before heading to
the Pac-12 Tournament in Los Angeles the following week.
