Arizona State bounced from Pac-12 Tournament by Oregon State
Mar 10, 2016, 12:05 AM | Updated: 7:09 am
Arizona State forward Savon Goodman, left, shoots around Oregon State guard Gary Payton II during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 men's tournament Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
(AP Photo/John Locher)
A season that started out so promising for the Arizona State Sun Devils ended with a dud Wednesday, as ASU (15-17) lost to Oregon State (19-11) in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament 75-66.
Arizona State’s leading scorer Tra Holder had one of his worst games of the season. He was 4-of-11 from the field and had only one point with less than five minutes left in the game.
Senior Gerry Blakes led the way for ASU with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Oregon State was blown out by the Sun Devils in Tempe back in late January, but there were no signs of the Arizona State offense from that game that scored 86 points.
Gary Payton II struggled once again against ASU, but his complete box score of 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and four steals combined with tremendous defense was enough for the Beavers, even without their second-leading scorer Tres Tinkle.
The tenacious rebounding of the Sun Devils kept the game from getting out of hand. ASU outrebounded Oregon State 39-37 in the game, including a 14-6 edge on the offensive boards.
The group of Eric Jacobsen, Willie Atwood, Obinna Oleka and Savon Goodman play a large part in ASU averaging 12.26 offensive rebounds per game and they had nine of the Sun Devils’ 14 Wednesday.
But foul trouble took its toll on the Devils. ASU committed 23 fouls, and with only seven rotation players, it was a lot to overcome.
Holder and Jacobsen struggled with foul trouble all game and Holder fouled out. Jacobsen, Blakes and Kodi Justice finished the game with four fouls apiece.
There weren’t high expectations for Bobby Hurley’s first season in Tempe, but he has to be disappointed with his team ending the season losing six of their last seven after wins early in the season against Texas A&M, UNLV, N.C. State and Creighton.
