LAHAINA, Hawaii -- ASU head coach Rob Evans not only got a much-needed win Tuesday, but also a bit of good news that will surely help his team's chances in the long run.
Just prior to tip-off in the second round of the Maui Invitational, Evans learned that senior shooting guard Curtis Millage had been cleared to play after an academic eligibility issue kept him out of action for the past two weeks. Evans' players didn't know of the decision when they took the floor at the Lahaina Civic Center, but they still rolled to a convincing 101-72 victory over host Chaminade.
"It's a difficult assignment to come in here after a difficult ball game last night," said Evans, whose team will face the Massachusetts-Utah winner at 12 p.m. Wednesday in the fifth-place game. "The patience we needed last night was there on the offensive end of the floor and our defense was outstanding."
Evans was notified of the NCAA's ruling just minutes before the game was scheduled to begin when assistant coach Dan O'Dowd received a call on his cell phone. Knowing that his second-leading scorer from a year ago will be back in uniform Wednesday, Evans breathed a sigh of relief after his team easily disposed of the Silverswords.
"The news we got was huge because this young man has had a lot of bad news and had he gotten another hit in the stomach, I don't know who can take that," Evans said. "From a mental standpoint, kids can only take so much when they are not at fault."
Only 14 hours after shooting 36.5 percent from the field in a 17-point loss to 15th-ranked Kentucky, the Sun Devils (2-1) found the touch they were looking for Tuesday. ASU drained 38 of 60 shots from inside the arc for a 63.3 shooting percentage, the best ever by an Evans-coached team. The Sun Devils have not shot that well from the field since March 9, 1990 when they were 30-for-45 in an 83-75 win against No. 22 Oregon State.
ASU junior forward Jamal Hill was on the mark for the second consecutive game. He made 3 of 4 attempts from three-point range for 17 points, but what's even more impressive is the fact that he has turned the ball over only once in 87 minutes.
Hill might not see as much playing time with Millage back in the rotation, but he will still hold a vital role. Evans plans to use Hill at both the small forward and off-guard positions.
"It's actually going to make my job easier," Hill said. "They are going to concentrate on Curtis, so more open shots for me."
Sun Devil senior forward Tommy Smith also looked good for the first time this season when not sitting on the bench in foul trouble. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
"I was more focused and I didn't commit dumb fouls," Smith said. "Those dumb fouls have got to go, and that's part of being patient."
Freshman forward Ike Diogu had a quiet 19 points during a game in which ASU's shooters garnered the most attention. Diogu scored with 4:39 remaining in the first half to help the Sun Devils extend their lead to 21 points.
ASU went on a 15-0 run heading into the break to grab a 56-23 advantage at intermission. Sun Devil senior forward Chris Osborne, who played for the first time this year after nursing a sprained ankle Monday, tossed in the last five points during the scoring spree.
The Sun Devils went on an 8-0 run early in the second half and led by as many as 35 points with 14:43 remaining after Diogu converted a three-point play. ASU senior guard Kyle Dodd, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, sparked the crowd with a breakaway dunk and an alley-oop from senior guard Brandon Goldman.
Senior forward Leon Ballard and junior guard Jerry Wells had 15 apiece for Chaminade, which will meet the Massachusetts-Utah loser in the seventh-place game at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Silverswords (0-3) shot 37.5 percent from the field and were 4-for-17 from beyond the arc.