The Sun Devil men's basketball team (14-16, 7-10) stunned USC 83-82 in a thriller at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Sun Devils rallied late with a 12-1 tear in the last 2:32 to claim the victory. Junior guard Kodi Justice nailed a clutch three-pointer with 15 seconds left to cut the USC lead 82-81. ASU sealed the comeback win after junior guard Tra Holder made both free-throws after being fouled, as USC threw the in-bounds pass away.
Justice led the Sun Devil offense, pouring in a career-high 22 points. The Mesa native went 6-of-9 from behind the arc and added three rebounds and six assists. Holder chipped in 18 points and six assists in the win, and went perfect from the charity stripe.
"I think the game kind of speaks for itself," said head coach Bobby Hurley. "It was a dramatic game, a great college basketball game. Two teams that fought extremely hard. First half we scored it well, we executed it well, minus the last minute of the half. We fought through a lot of adversity throughout the course of the game. It has been what this team has been about especially in leage play."
USC led 81-71 with under three minutes remaining, but ASU held USC to no field goals and made all four of its free throws and added a pair of three-pointers while forcing two USC turnovers. USC went 0-of-4 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free throw line in that time.
"Once we got these core five guys playing the way they have been playing, we feel as if we can hang in there defensively, that we are very competitive and that was the case again," noted Hurley. "What a great feeling. I feel terrific for the guys that work so hard and got that type of result and never gave in, and never gave up. So it was exciting to be a part of. And then the bench...I feel good about what Andre Adams and Ramon Vila did tonight. They battled and chased down rebounds and scored around the hoop. So they added something to us. They were important in this victory."
VS. USC IN TEMPE: ASU is now 9-1 vs. USC in Tempe since the start of the 2006-07 season, which includes four wins over eventual USC NCAA Tournament teams (2016, 2009, 2008, 2007) and twice over ranked teams (last season and in 2007).
PAST 10 ASU VS. USC GAMES IN TEMPE (ASU LEADS 9-1)
ASU 83, USC 82/Feb. 26, 2017
ASU 74, #23 USC 67/Feb. 12, 2016
ASU 64, USC 59/Feb. 22, 2015
ASU 98, USC 93 (OT)/Jan. 24, 2013
ASU 56, USC 52/Feb. 25, 2012
USC 63, ASU 61/Jan. 27, 2011
ASU 59, USC 54/Mar. 4, 2010
ASU 65, USC 53/Feb. 15, 2009
ASU 80, USC 66/Mar. 1, 2008
ASU 68, #22 USC 58/Feb. 18, 2007
The Sun Devils came out blistering, shooting four consecutive triples within the first four minutes of the game. Three of the treys came from Justice, who finished the half going with four three-pointers. The Sun Devils pulled away with a 12-0 run in the middle of the first half, with senior Obi Oleka and juniors Tra Holder and Justice leading the charge.
However, the Trojans would keep up with the fiery pace throughout the entire first half, shooting 69% from the floor and outrebounding the Devils 14-11. At the end of the first frame, the Trojans led 48-47.
ASU took back the lead in the second half after senior guard Torian Graham and Justice combined to score six unanswered points. The Trojans and Sun Devils went back and forth with lead changes until USC went on a 7-0 run with 8:26 left to play.
USC's Jonah Mathews extended the Trojan lead to 10 with five minutes remaining in the game after a trip to the free-throw line and a three-pointer. The Sun Devils would make a furious comeback after Justice made a huge three with just 15 seconds left in the contest to cut the deficit to one point.
The Trojans' Bennie Boatwright fouled Holder, who headed to the line to shoot two with seven seconds remaining. Perfectly poised, Holder made both shots to capture the comeback victory for the Sun Devils.
Up next, the Sun Devils to take on No. 4 Arizona in the Territorial Cup in Tempe on Saturday, Mar. 4. The game will be televised on CBS at 2 p.m. MT.
The Sun Devils rallied late with a 12-1 tear in the last 2:32 to claim the victory. Junior guard Kodi Justice nailed a clutch three-pointer with 15 seconds left to cut the USC lead 82-81. ASU sealed the comeback win after junior guard Tra Holder made both free-throws after being fouled, as USC threw the in-bounds pass away.
Justice led the Sun Devil offense, pouring in a career-high 22 points. The Mesa native went 6-of-9 from behind the arc and added three rebounds and six assists. Holder chipped in 18 points and six assists in the win, and went perfect from the charity stripe.
"I think the game kind of speaks for itself," said head coach Bobby Hurley. "It was a dramatic game, a great college basketball game. Two teams that fought extremely hard. First half we scored it well, we executed it well, minus the last minute of the half. We fought through a lot of adversity throughout the course of the game. It has been what this team has been about especially in leage play."
USC led 81-71 with under three minutes remaining, but ASU held USC to no field goals and made all four of its free throws and added a pair of three-pointers while forcing two USC turnovers. USC went 0-of-4 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free throw line in that time.
"Once we got these core five guys playing the way they have been playing, we feel as if we can hang in there defensively, that we are very competitive and that was the case again," noted Hurley. "What a great feeling. I feel terrific for the guys that work so hard and got that type of result and never gave in, and never gave up. So it was exciting to be a part of. And then the bench...I feel good about what Andre Adams and Ramon Vila did tonight. They battled and chased down rebounds and scored around the hoop. So they added something to us. They were important in this victory."
VS. USC IN TEMPE: ASU is now 9-1 vs. USC in Tempe since the start of the 2006-07 season, which includes four wins over eventual USC NCAA Tournament teams (2016, 2009, 2008, 2007) and twice over ranked teams (last season and in 2007).
PAST 10 ASU VS. USC GAMES IN TEMPE (ASU LEADS 9-1)
ASU 83, USC 82/Feb. 26, 2017
ASU 74, #23 USC 67/Feb. 12, 2016
ASU 64, USC 59/Feb. 22, 2015
ASU 98, USC 93 (OT)/Jan. 24, 2013
ASU 56, USC 52/Feb. 25, 2012
USC 63, ASU 61/Jan. 27, 2011
ASU 59, USC 54/Mar. 4, 2010
ASU 65, USC 53/Feb. 15, 2009
ASU 80, USC 66/Mar. 1, 2008
ASU 68, #22 USC 58/Feb. 18, 2007
The three-ball proved to be strength for the Sun Devils, as they made 10 treys in the first half, and 13 overall. The squad also cashed in on Trojan turnovers, scoring 27 points off of the extra possessions.Five threes from @kodijustice21? Just call him Killer Kodi. @Pac12Network https://t.co/RYkGBnGzJ5
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 27, 2017
The Sun Devils came out blistering, shooting four consecutive triples within the first four minutes of the game. Three of the treys came from Justice, who finished the half going with four three-pointers. The Sun Devils pulled away with a 12-0 run in the middle of the first half, with senior Obi Oleka and juniors Tra Holder and Justice leading the charge.
However, the Trojans would keep up with the fiery pace throughout the entire first half, shooting 69% from the floor and outrebounding the Devils 14-11. At the end of the first frame, the Trojans led 48-47.
ASU took back the lead in the second half after senior guard Torian Graham and Justice combined to score six unanswered points. The Trojans and Sun Devils went back and forth with lead changes until USC went on a 7-0 run with 8:26 left to play.
USC's Jonah Mathews extended the Trojan lead to 10 with five minutes remaining in the game after a trip to the free-throw line and a three-pointer. The Sun Devils would make a furious comeback after Justice made a huge three with just 15 seconds left in the contest to cut the deficit to one point.
The Trojans' Bennie Boatwright fouled Holder, who headed to the line to shoot two with seven seconds remaining. Perfectly poised, Holder made both shots to capture the comeback victory for the Sun Devils.
Up next, the Sun Devils to take on No. 4 Arizona in the Territorial Cup in Tempe on Saturday, Mar. 4. The game will be televised on CBS at 2 p.m. MT.