TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State men’s basketball team battled down-to-the-wire with No. 25 California, before falling 68-65 Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Eric Jacobsen, one of three Sun Devil seniors playing his final game at Wells Fargo Arena, paced Arizona State posting a 20-point, six-rebound outing.
In total, four Sun Devils scored in double-figures as Arizona State closed shooting 40.7 percent (24-59) form the field, 33.3 percent (7-21) from beyond the arc, and 90.9 percent (10-11) from the charity stripe.
ERIC JACOBSEN TOP SCORING GAMES
20 vs. #25 California (3/5/16)
20 vs. Pepperdine (12/13/14)
16 vs. Houston Baptist (12/19/15)
16 vs. UNLV (12/3/14)
16 vs. Hartford (12/5/12)
SUN DEVIL CAREER GAMES
132, Jon Gilling (2011-15)
131, Derek Glasser (2006-10)
130, Ty Abbott (2007-11)
129, Eric Jacobsen (2012-present)
129, Jerren Shipp (2006-10)
Senior guard Gerry Blakes, Arizona State’s jack of all trades, recorded 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Tra Holder finished with 10 points and six assists, while ObInna Oleka added 10 points.
Nearly dead-even in every statistical category with the Golden Bears, the Sun Devils recorded 13 points off 10 Cal turnovers and 10 second-chance buckets on eight offensive boards.
California won the battle on the boards 36-32, while both teams finished with 26 points in the paint respectively.
Despite falling behind by as much as eight early in the first half, the Sun Devils would capitalize on a series of Cal turnovers (nine first half Cal turnovers equating to 11 Arizona State Points off turnovers) to grab the lead at half. Behind 22-14 at the 9:43 mark, a Savon Goodman and-1 would spark a 12-2 run for Bobby Hurley’s squad. After a Cal score at 3:40 would bring the game to a tie, 26-26, the Sun Devils would hold the Bears scoreless for three-minute stretch, jumping out on a 7-0 run. On a torrent scoring spree, highlighted by an emphatic transition dunk by Goodman, the Sun Devils would move ahead 33-26, before Cal’s Tyrone Wallace would score with a single tick remaining in the period, giving Arizona State a 33-28 lead at recess.
Hot off a strong opening half, Arizona State would continue to extend its lead early in the second. Jumping out of the gate on a 5-0 run, the Sun Devils would move out to their largest lead of the game, 38-28 with 18:39 remaining. Both teams would trade punches over a seven-minute stretch before Cal, by virtue of a 9-0 run, would capture a 48-47 lead. Arizona State would move ahead one final time on an Eric Jacobsen and-1 at 7:37, before the Golden Bears would not only regain the lead, but for the remainder of the game fail to relinquish it. A Tyrone Wallace three-pointer at 4:27 would spark a quick 5-0 run for California. The Maroon and Gold would pull within two on three separate occasions down the stretch. Jacobsen would net a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 62-60 with .38 ticks remaining, before the Bears would cap a 68-65 victory at the charity stripe, making six of their final eight attempts.
UP NEXT…
The Sun Devils travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2016 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament (Mar. 9-12) hosted at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Sun Devils will meet Oregon State in the first round.