Dec. 4, 2008
ASU Updated Seven-Game Stats plus Jackson State box score in PDF Format
Tempe, Ariz.-
By Thomas Lenneberg, ASU Media Relations
Jeff Pendergraph had 19 points and Rihards Kuksiks added 16 as No. 19 Arizona State defeated Jackson State 81-60 at home.
It took 10 minutes, but once the Sun Devils found their rhythm, they didn't slow down. A 14-0 run, started by a thunderous Pendergraph dunk and capped off by eight straight James Harden points, turned a close three point game into a 17 point advantage they would not relinquish.
The Devils went into the break up 16, but the second half did not start out as hoped; Harden picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench at the 16-minute mark, while Jackson State was mounting a rally and picking up steam quickly, pulling to within 11 just six minutes into the half.
Determined to prove they are not a one-man show, the Sun Devils started to pull away while their star player rode the pine for 10 minutes, stretching the lead to 21 before James came back in with a little under six minutes to play.
"That was a real silver lining tonight. We had to play without James and we actually increased our lead," added coach Herb Sendek about the game-changing span. "That was a real positive for us; not that we want to be in that position where he is on the bench in foul trouble."
Although Harden was in foul trouble most of the game, he still led the Sun Devils in scoring for the 31st time in his career. He played only five minutes in the second half and 25 total, but still finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
The super sophomore has been on a roll lately, averaging 30 points and 8 rebounds in each of ASU's last four games, en-route to earning Pac-10 player-of-the-week honors the past two weeks.
Defenses have been unable to slow down his multi-dimensional, inside-out offensive presence. Not only has he been shooting 82 percent from the free-throw line, but he has also been lights-out from downtown, making 14 of his last 18 3-pointers.
"I'm starting to get back in a groove," Harden said of his four-game tear. "I'm trying to be in attack mode, be more aggressive and try to get my teammates a lot more open shots. The more aggressive I am, the more open shots my teammates have, which opens up the offense a lot more."
ASU was able to control the tempo and pace of the game with aggressive defense and a balanced, quick-hitting offense. During one particular stretch, Pendergraph had a monster dunk off an alley-oop pass by Derek Glasser, then came down on defense and re-directed a Tigers lay-up into the stands. He finished with four of the Devils five blocks on the night, taking to heart coach Sendek's advice.
"Coach got on me a little bit about being more of a presence around the basket," Pendergraph stated after the game. "Before this game, guys were getting to the basket easier and making all kinds of easy lay-ups."
ASU's zone defense held the Tigers to 2-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc and forced them into 11 turnovers, three off their season average of 14.
The Sun Devils (6-1) are off to their best start since the `04-'05 season, when they opened 11-1.