Fork Report: Despite double-double from Goodman, Arizona State falls at home
Dec 21, 2014, 5:53 AM | Updated: 5:53 am
TEMPE, Ariz. — Maybe the holidays had the Arizona State Sun Devils feeling charitable, because they gave the game away in triple overtime to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena.
The ASU starting corps of Shaq McKissic, Kodi Justice, Willie Atwood, Gerry Blakes and Eric Jacobsen each recorded at least one turnover for a total of 13 through the first half alone.
In fact, though Arizona State opened the first 10 minutes of play shooting 50 percent from the field (5-of-10), they gave up six turnovers in 17 possessions.
And while park-ball passing without the snap did nothing for the Sun Devils, they seemed to work in Lehigh’s favor, as Mountain Hawks guard Ross Kahron doled out seven assists throughout the half to contribute to the 32-24 halftime lead. Lehigh also snagged nine steals with three apiece from Kahron and Austin Price.
The Sun Devils’ 24 points was their lowest-scoring first half all season, due largely to their 13 turnovers.
“(We) played like we were lacking in confidence the first half. We just didn’t have any rhythm. It seemed like we were walking on eggshells,” said head coach Herb Sendek.
A halftime personnel shift by head coach Herb Sendek that saw Goodman, Bo Barnes and Tra Holder get the start, brought a level of energy to the court that ASU hadn’t yet seen.
Goodman scored 12 points and grabbed six boards in 13 minutes on his way to a career-high 24-point night, yet Arizona State’s poor perimeter defense allowed Lehigh to sneak by a couple 3s that stretched the Sun Devil deficit to 12 points with 11 minutes left to play.
Two ASU steals and a three-pointer sparked an 11-0 run with under 10 minutes left — all the Sun Devils had to do was hang on to the momentum swing.
Down by three with 4:31 left to play, Jacobsen fouled out immediately after a three-point play. Yet led by Goodman, ASU rallied with 52 percent shooting in the second half and a night-and-day tempo switch from the start of the game, to lock in with Lehigh 64-all and send the game into overtime.
With the game tied at 68 and just seconds left to play, hometown returner Tim Kempton didn’t hit either of his free throws and sent the game to double overtime.
Kempton then fouled out after building a 16-point, 11-rebound resume.
Finally, after the third round of free basketball, McKissic had the chance to make a three-point play with about 30 seconds left to tie the game, but he missed the freebie.
Seconds later, Jonathan Gilling missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and ASU was handed their first home loss in 14 games.
The Good
— Goodman had a career day and led all scorers with 24 points and 12 rebounds. He was 9-of-11 overall and had gone 8-of-8 before missing his first shot.
“I’ve been sitting out for a year so that gives me more of an edge,” he said.
— Arizona State’s bench players had 58 total points.
— Shooting wasn’t the issue for the Sun Devils in regular play. They shot 52 percent in the second half, but they couldn’t hit in overtime, shooting only 26.3 percent from the field.
The Bad
— The Sun Devils gave the ball up 19 times, 13 in the first half alone. Every single ASU starter had at least one turnover, and McKissic led the team with four.
— ASU only hit one free throw in four attempts in the first half, and went just 15-of-29 from the line throughout.
— The game had just 4,615 attendees but most notably absent was the student section — ASU students are on winter break.
Notables
— Kempton returned to the Valley (he graduated from Brophy in 2013) and got a large ovation from fans during pregame introductions.
— Blakes only played 15 total minutes and was 1-of-5 in a 55-minute game.
— Saturday night’s Curtain of Distraction featured a jolly smack-talking Santa with unicorn reindeer, a chicken in a spandex body suit and an alien. That is not a typo.
What’s Next?
Arizona State will host the Detroit Titans on Dec. 23 in Tempe. Gilling, Jacobsen and Barnes are the only current Devils to have played in the 2013 game vs. Detroit (the last time ASU saw the Titans).
