When playing on back-to-back nights for the first time in more than a month, things again weren't easy for the Arizona State men's basketball team, but the result was still the same.
The last time the Sun Devils had to take the floor for two games in as many days, they fought their way to an 83-79 overtime victory against Utah in the Maui Invitational. Although Saturday night's game was not nearly as close, an equivalent amount of effort was needed.
Freshman forward Ike Diogu and senior forward Tommy Smith combined for 37 points to help lift ASU to a 75-63 win over Nebraska in the championship game of the 36th annual azcentral.com Hoops Classic before a crowd of 6,936 at Wells Fargo Arena.
"This is the best group of guys I've had together, and we're still gathering them," said Sun Devil head coach Rob Evans. "We're pretty proud of where we are right now because of the schedule that we have played. We're not satisfied because we have a lot of work left to do."
Nearly everything was clicking for ASU, which matched patience on offense with aggressiveness on the defensive end. The Sun Devils (8-3) held the Cornhuskers (5-5) to 45.3 percent shooting from the field and committed only seven turnovers, the third-fewest in Evans' 298-game coaching career. ASU also shot a season-high 88.9 percent (16-for-18) from the free-throw line.
"They really kept us off balance," Nebraska head coach Barry Collier said. "They bothered us with their pressure. They controlled the inside on both ends of the floor in the first half."
Diogu, who scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field to take home tournament Most Valuable Player honors, set the tone early. He tossed in his team's first six points and converted a three-point play after taking an entry pass from senior guard Kyle Dodd to propel the Sun Devils to a 32-16 lead with 6:08 left before the break.
Dodd and junior swingman Jamal Hill each knocked down a pair of jumpers during ASU's 22-4 run over an eight-minute stretch midway through the first half. Sun Devil senior forward Shawn Redhage knocked down a three-pointer and Smith made a pair of free throws to cap the scoring spree.
Smith picked up right where he left off after intermission. He tossed in a pair of easy baskets after marking steals on Nebraska's first two trips up court.
"I'm not in foul trouble, so now I can just go out and play and not worry about staying on the floor," said Smith, whose 16-point effort earned him a spot on the all-tournament team.
Despite trailing by 22 points with 13:32 remaining, the Cornhuskers refused to lie down. They twice cut the deficit to nine points, but ASU responded both times.
Diogu was the first to answer the bell with his third three-point play at the 8:28 mark of the second half. Sun Devil senior shooting guard Curtis Millage, who was 3-for-13 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc, then did the same to put the game out of reach.
"Basketball is a game of runs," Diogu said. "We made a run, so we kind of thought they were going to make a run. Coaches told us to just calm down, be patient and keep doing what got us the lead."
GAME NOTES: The Sun Devils, who have won 11 of the past 14 azcentral.com Hoops Classic's, improved to 60-12 all-time in the event ... ASU is 3-1 all-time against Nebraska ... The Sun Devils were 3-for-16 from three-point range and the Cornhuskers were 3-for-17 ... In the past two seasons, ASU is 21-3 (.875) when leading at the half ... Diogu has made 94.7 percent (36-of-38) of his attempts from the free-throw line in the last five games ... Smith is averaging six assists in the last three games.
BUCKNELL UPSETS UC SANTA BARBARA: Bucknell shot just 41.5 percent from the field, but got double-figure efforts from three players in a 67-60 victory over UC Santa Barbara to capture third-place honors in the azcentral.com Hoops Classic. Freshman guard Kevin Bettencourt marked a team-high 19 points, while junior guard Chris Rodgers added 18 and senior forward Boakai Lalugba scored 10.
UP NEXT: The Sun Devils will begin Pac-10 play next week at the Oregon schools. ASU is scheduled to face Oregon State at 7:30 p.m. PT Thursday before traveling to No. 11 Oregon at 6 p.m. PT Saturday.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.