No. 4 Arizona State upset by Colorado in hectic overtime finish
Jan 4, 2018, 9:23 PM | Updated: Jan 5, 2018, 11:23 am
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley directs his team against Colorado during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils have now started Pac-12 play 0-2 after what was a hectic overtime finish in a 90-81 loss to Colorado.
ASU shot 36 percent overall from the field and 9-of-33 (27 percent) from deep. Senior guard Tra Holder had 24 points on 20 shots and only one assist. The team had 11 total assists.
Freshman guard McKinley Wright IV had 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Buffaloes and senior guard George King added 18 points and nine rebounds.
Down 74-72 with 29 seconds left and one timeout, Holder let the ball roll up the court to save time. Once he crossed half-court, head coach Bobby Hurley was seen calling for a timeout.
Holder didn’t notice, as he quickly launched a 3-pointer nearly five feet behind the line. Luckily for him, freshman big Romello White grabbed the offensive rebound and then ASU got the timeout call.
Coming out of the timeout, ASU’s play ended in sophomore forward Mickey Mitchell rushing to the basket with 12 seconds left.
As he got near the hoop, Mitchell lost his balance, and before falling over out bounds, he flung the ball into the backcourt, a pass destined to be a turnover.
Somehow, the ball not only wound up in senior guard Shannon Evans’ hands, but he was able to step into a clean look from 3-point range.
He missed with under 10 seconds to go, but the rebound was tipped and then wound up in the hands of Mitchell, who had no one in front of him under the basket to prevent him from dunking the ball home and sending the game to overtime.
Mickey Mitchell. 😱 #Pac12Hoops
We head to overtime!
Watch: https://t.co/ZLABag9Ytt pic.twitter.com/ai6SD63vZT
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 5, 2018
Overtime had another crazy moment involving Mitchell.
Now down 84-81 with 52 seconds left, Holder and the Sun Devils went for a quick two, but he missed the layup. King grabbed the rebound, and in a situation where the referees are expecting a foul, they perhaps got a little antsy.
Mitchell clearly went to grab the ball out of King’s hands, avoiding all contact and cleanly taking the ball away.
This was called a foul against Mickey Mitchell. pic.twitter.com/FaZOqkrpya
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) January 5, 2018
The refs didn’t see it that way, whistling Mitchell for his fifth foul and most importantly, effectively ending the game with a five-point deficit and 41 seconds to go.
Evans’ struggles continued for ASU after his start to the season had him right alongside Holder in the conversation for Pac-12 Player of the Year in non-conference play. He shot 3-of-14 in the game, making his field goal shooting over the last five games a total of 17-of-68 (25 percent).
ASU now heads to Utah to take on the Utes Sunday at 6 p.m. You can listen live on ESPN 620 AM.
