TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State men’s basketball team (12-10; 2-7) fell 91-74 to the #23 Oregon Ducks Sunday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Sun Devils shot 39.3 percent (24-of-61) from the field, 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from the perimeter, and 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the foul line.
Obinna Oleka for a second-consecutive game led Bobby Hurley’s squad in scoring, posting 17 points and four rebounds. The high-motor big man excelled from beyond the arc going 3-of-5.
Senior Gerry Blakes finished with 15 points, while adding a team-high seven rebounds.
Guards Tra Holder and Kodi Justice each finished the contest in double-figure scoring. Holder netted 12 points, while Justice recorded 11. Justice finished with game highs in both assists (6) and steals (3).
Oregon, who shot 50.9 percent (27-53), was led by a 26-point/10-rebound, double-double from forward Chris Boucher. The senior transfer had a career-night posting career marks in both points and blocks (7).
The Ducks arguably sealed the game at the charity stripe getting to the line 38 times on 25 Sun Devil fouls. Oregon would go 76.3 percent (29-38) from the foul line.
Arizona State struggled over the course of the game turning the ball over early and often. Oregon proved the benefactor of 17 Sun Devil turnovers, finishing with 29 points as a result.
The Ducks outworked Bobby Hurley’s squad down low, out-rebounding the Sun Devils at a +9 margin (40-31), while outscoring Arizona State 36-25 in the paint.
The Sun Devils seemed poised to make a run at the Ducks 37-36 lead at recess, after rallying, down 13-0 in the opening minutes of play. Arizona State, who got off to a slow start in the first half failing to connect on any its initial seven attempts, mounted a furious comeback, taking the lead late in the period. Obinna Oleka who finished the first half with 10 points, scored on two-consecutive processions beginning at the 14:56 mark, to spur a 20-7 run for the Sun Devils, leading to a 20-20 tie midway through the period. After moving out to a four-point, 26-22 lead at 5:21, the Sun Devils saw their lead slip away, as the Ducks would outscore Hurley's squad 15-10 to head into the half up one.
Turnovers early in the second half allowed Oregon to jump out of the gate on a 6-0 run. After the Sun Devils responded with a 7-0 run of their own to move within three, 53-50, with 13:50 remaining, the Ducks began to pull away. Compounding turnover trouble proved to be problematic, as Oregon would outscore Arizona State 38-24 to cap a 91-74 victory.
UP NEXT…
The Sun Devils travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies (14-7; 6-3) Wed. Feb. 3, at 9:00 p.m. (MT). The game is slated to be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.
Arizona State won its last visit to Seattle, defeating the Huskies 78-68 led by a game-high 23 points from Gerry Blakes (2/15/15).