by Tony Thai, Sun Devil Communications Intern
A week after taking home the MGM Resorts Main Event Championship, @SunDevilHoops returned to Tempe Wednesday to take down the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks, 89-71, improving to 6-0 on the season.
The Sun Devils had a chorus of contributors, with four players reaching double-digits. Leading scorers were the freshmen duo of Taeshon Cherry and Luguentz Dort, both with 19 points each. Kimani Lawrence had 18 points, including four three-pointers, three of them in the second half alone. Remy Martin (ankle), Mickey Mitchell (toe) and Rob Edwards all watched the game in adidas sweatsuits, and that provided great opportunities for others.
Cherry's 19 points is a career-high in his first ever start as a Sun Devil.
"[Cherry] made some great plays, his defense was solid and he adds a new dimension to our team because he is a guy you can't leave unaccounted for behind the three-point line... the way he can shoot it, that mid-range jump shot... so it was nice to see him in a great rhythm on offense," said head coach Bobby Hurley.
The best stat line of the night, however, belonged to Zylan Cheatham, who was just an assist shy of a triple-double, recording 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Not only was Cheatham grabbing rebounds and facilitating the ball throughout the game, but he also had another highlight-worthy dunk, this time breakaway windmill slam in the second half.
"It's nice when you can count on guys like Zylan," said head coach Bobby Hurley. "I thought his approach was unbelievable, his patience, his unselfishness, his passing... the kid is just a winner. He's one heck of a player and he was one assist short of a triple-double from the forward spot, so it's really great to have a guy like that out there."
PAC-12 REGULAR SEASON OUT OF CONFERENCE WIN STREAKS (1996-PRESENT)
39, Arizona, 12/20/11-12/19/14
26, Stanford, 11/11/99-11/24/01
24, Washington, 12/5/04-12/4/06
23, USC, 12/3/15-11/22/17
21, Washington State, 12/5/06-11/29/08
19, Arizona State, 12/17/16-present
After leading early in the game, Omaha took the lead with a three at the 12-minute mark of the first half. ASU was trailing 25-17 until two old-school three-point plays by De'Quon Lake tied the game at 25.
Omaha was in the lead once again until a three by Vitaliy Shibel gave Arizona State a 34-33 lead. ASU was in front of Omaha the rest of the way, leading 50-40 at the end of the first half.
50-POINT FIRST HALF IN BOBBY HURLEY ERA
ASU 56, UC Irvine 38 (Nov. 19, 2017)
ASU 55, Citadel 45 (Nov. 23, 2016)
ASU 54, Northern Arizona 27 (Nov. 17, 2017)
ASU 52, @Stanford 39 (Dec. 30, 2016)
ASU 51, Idaho State 33 (Nov. 10, 2017)
ASU 51, Central Arkansas 28 (Dec. 22, 2016)
ASU 51, UNLV 30 (Dec. 3, 2016)
ASU 50, Omaha 40 (Nov. 28, 2018)
ASU 50, Stanford 42/Pac-12 Tournament (Mar. 8, 2017)
Arizona State broke the game open after hitting three straight 3-pointers to start the second half, one by Cherry and two-in-a-row by Lawrence.
The Sun Devils pushed out to a 26-point lead, their biggest lead of the game, with 9:26 left in the game. Omaha chipped into the lead a little bit at the end but the result was still the same, a Sun Devil victory.
"I think the 6 or 7-minute mark in the first half to the first 7 minutes of the second half was probably as good as any consecutive stretch that we have played this year... so it was exciting to see that," said Hurley. "The level of defense we were playing throughout that stretch, the ball was moving very well and guys were making a lot of plays out there so it was a lot of fun to watch."
BEST STARTS IN ASU HISTORY
12-0/2017-18
9-0/1974-75
7-0/1980-81
6-0/2018-19
6-0/2013-14
Arizona State has another home game this week on Saturday, Dec. 1 against Texas Southern, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. MT. The game can be viewed on Pac-12 Networks or heard on 98.7 FM.
HEAD COACH BOBBY HURLEY QUOTES
On team's performance: "I think the 6 or 7 minute mark in the first half to the first 7 minutes of the second half was probably as good as any consecutive stretch that we have played this year... so it was exciting to see that... the level of defense we were playing throughout that stretch, the ball was moving very well and guys were making a lot of plays out there so it was a lot of fun to watch."
On ASU's overall depth + Zylan Cheatham: "Our ceiling is very high. We knew going in that the margin was pretty narrow for us to not have key players in foul trouble... It's nice when you can count on guys like Zylan... I thought his approach was unbelievable... his patience, his unselfishness, his passing... the kid is just a winner. He's one heck of a player and he was one assist short of a triple-double from the forward spot, so it's really great to have a guy like that out there."
"There are a lot of weapons on the floor and you just hope we make the right choices with who we go after... When you have Dort, Cherry, Zylan, and either Lake or Romello White, and Kimani, there is a lot of guys that can make plays out there. We move the ball and find the matchup that we need to find."
On Cherry's career night: "He made some great plays... his defense was solid and he adds a new dimension to our team because he is a guy you can't leave unaccounted for behind the three point line... the way he can shoot it, that mid range jump shot... so it was nice to see him in a great rhythm on offense."
On team's health: "I spend Monday morning in the doctor's office for several hours... I've been there more than I've ever been there. We're progressing, everyone's progressing... I'm getting feedback from our doctors that these are not long term things to be concerned about, but at the same time I am going to protect my players and make sure they are 100% healthy when they have the opportunity to go. Each day we'll see how they feel and go from there."
OMAHA COACH DERRIN HANSEN
What happened to allow ASU to storm back?
"We were doing a really good job of keeping them out of transition. We were much better than we were the other night in Ames, Iowa (@Iowa State) and to do that on one day prep, I am really proud of our guys. We had to keep better care of the basketball and get better shots. We were able to get some balls to go in the net, which keeps them out of transition. I thought the biggest thing late was once we kept them in front, we couldn't make some shots and than they got on the glass and that really hurt us in the last four or five minutes of the first half. I thought they got a lot of put back, they got some and ones and that's what built up that ten-point lead."
On strong performance by Matt Pile…
"The only thing he really did wrong was he had a couple of cheap fouls and he turned the ball over a little bit late when they started to run down and him. I could have given it to him a little late, but we understand the score and the goal long term and big picture. We probably didn't throw it to him as much as we could have, but he was really good early and he had great patience, much better than he did the other night where he turned it over some. He was one on one against much bigger and more athletic bodies and I really though he held his own down there to say the least.
What did you expect in the second half coming out of the locker room?
"Well, they rushed us. The pressure went up, they (ASU) got back on the glass, they got a couple of run ups and than next thing you know it is 24 to whatever it was when I called a timeout. But you have to give our guys credit, I thought we settled in and bounced back. When they are playing starters 39 minutes (Kimani Lawrence), 31 minutes (Taeshon Cherry), and 34 minutes (Zylan Cheatham), that means we've done something right. I'm really proud of our guys and how we fought tonight."
A week after taking home the MGM Resorts Main Event Championship, @SunDevilHoops returned to Tempe Wednesday to take down the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks, 89-71, improving to 6-0 on the season.
The Sun Devils had a chorus of contributors, with four players reaching double-digits. Leading scorers were the freshmen duo of Taeshon Cherry and Luguentz Dort, both with 19 points each. Kimani Lawrence had 18 points, including four three-pointers, three of them in the second half alone. Remy Martin (ankle), Mickey Mitchell (toe) and Rob Edwards all watched the game in adidas sweatsuits, and that provided great opportunities for others.
Cherry's 19 points is a career-high in his first ever start as a Sun Devil.
"[Cherry] made some great plays, his defense was solid and he adds a new dimension to our team because he is a guy you can't leave unaccounted for behind the three-point line... the way he can shoot it, that mid-range jump shot... so it was nice to see him in a great rhythm on offense," said head coach Bobby Hurley.
The best stat line of the night, however, belonged to Zylan Cheatham, who was just an assist shy of a triple-double, recording 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Not only was Cheatham grabbing rebounds and facilitating the ball throughout the game, but he also had another highlight-worthy dunk, this time breakaway windmill slam in the second half.
TURN UP SO REAL https://t.co/Xcxgt7TZaV
— STAY DANGEROUS (@YG) November 29, 2018
"It's nice when you can count on guys like Zylan," said head coach Bobby Hurley. "I thought his approach was unbelievable, his patience, his unselfishness, his passing... the kid is just a winner. He's one heck of a player and he was one assist short of a triple-double from the forward spot, so it's really great to have a guy like that out there."
PAC-12 REGULAR SEASON OUT OF CONFERENCE WIN STREAKS (1996-PRESENT)
39, Arizona, 12/20/11-12/19/14
26, Stanford, 11/11/99-11/24/01
24, Washington, 12/5/04-12/4/06
23, USC, 12/3/15-11/22/17
21, Washington State, 12/5/06-11/29/08
19, Arizona State, 12/17/16-present
After leading early in the game, Omaha took the lead with a three at the 12-minute mark of the first half. ASU was trailing 25-17 until two old-school three-point plays by De'Quon Lake tied the game at 25.
Omaha was in the lead once again until a three by Vitaliy Shibel gave Arizona State a 34-33 lead. ASU was in front of Omaha the rest of the way, leading 50-40 at the end of the first half.
50-POINT FIRST HALF IN BOBBY HURLEY ERA
ASU 56, UC Irvine 38 (Nov. 19, 2017)
ASU 55, Citadel 45 (Nov. 23, 2016)
ASU 54, Northern Arizona 27 (Nov. 17, 2017)
ASU 52, @Stanford 39 (Dec. 30, 2016)
ASU 51, Idaho State 33 (Nov. 10, 2017)
ASU 51, Central Arkansas 28 (Dec. 22, 2016)
ASU 51, UNLV 30 (Dec. 3, 2016)
ASU 50, Omaha 40 (Nov. 28, 2018)
ASU 50, Stanford 42/Pac-12 Tournament (Mar. 8, 2017)
Arizona State broke the game open after hitting three straight 3-pointers to start the second half, one by Cherry and two-in-a-row by Lawrence.
The Sun Devils pushed out to a 26-point lead, their biggest lead of the game, with 9:26 left in the game. Omaha chipped into the lead a little bit at the end but the result was still the same, a Sun Devil victory.
"I think the 6 or 7-minute mark in the first half to the first 7 minutes of the second half was probably as good as any consecutive stretch that we have played this year... so it was exciting to see that," said Hurley. "The level of defense we were playing throughout that stretch, the ball was moving very well and guys were making a lot of plays out there so it was a lot of fun to watch."
BEST STARTS IN ASU HISTORY
12-0/2017-18
9-0/1974-75
7-0/1980-81
6-0/2018-19
6-0/2013-14
Arizona State has another home game this week on Saturday, Dec. 1 against Texas Southern, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. MT. The game can be viewed on Pac-12 Networks or heard on 98.7 FM.
HEAD COACH BOBBY HURLEY QUOTES
On team's performance: "I think the 6 or 7 minute mark in the first half to the first 7 minutes of the second half was probably as good as any consecutive stretch that we have played this year... so it was exciting to see that... the level of defense we were playing throughout that stretch, the ball was moving very well and guys were making a lot of plays out there so it was a lot of fun to watch."
On ASU's overall depth + Zylan Cheatham: "Our ceiling is very high. We knew going in that the margin was pretty narrow for us to not have key players in foul trouble... It's nice when you can count on guys like Zylan... I thought his approach was unbelievable... his patience, his unselfishness, his passing... the kid is just a winner. He's one heck of a player and he was one assist short of a triple-double from the forward spot, so it's really great to have a guy like that out there."
"There are a lot of weapons on the floor and you just hope we make the right choices with who we go after... When you have Dort, Cherry, Zylan, and either Lake or Romello White, and Kimani, there is a lot of guys that can make plays out there. We move the ball and find the matchup that we need to find."
On Cherry's career night: "He made some great plays... his defense was solid and he adds a new dimension to our team because he is a guy you can't leave unaccounted for behind the three point line... the way he can shoot it, that mid range jump shot... so it was nice to see him in a great rhythm on offense."
On team's health: "I spend Monday morning in the doctor's office for several hours... I've been there more than I've ever been there. We're progressing, everyone's progressing... I'm getting feedback from our doctors that these are not long term things to be concerned about, but at the same time I am going to protect my players and make sure they are 100% healthy when they have the opportunity to go. Each day we'll see how they feel and go from there."
OMAHA COACH DERRIN HANSEN
What happened to allow ASU to storm back?
"We were doing a really good job of keeping them out of transition. We were much better than we were the other night in Ames, Iowa (@Iowa State) and to do that on one day prep, I am really proud of our guys. We had to keep better care of the basketball and get better shots. We were able to get some balls to go in the net, which keeps them out of transition. I thought the biggest thing late was once we kept them in front, we couldn't make some shots and than they got on the glass and that really hurt us in the last four or five minutes of the first half. I thought they got a lot of put back, they got some and ones and that's what built up that ten-point lead."
On strong performance by Matt Pile…
"The only thing he really did wrong was he had a couple of cheap fouls and he turned the ball over a little bit late when they started to run down and him. I could have given it to him a little late, but we understand the score and the goal long term and big picture. We probably didn't throw it to him as much as we could have, but he was really good early and he had great patience, much better than he did the other night where he turned it over some. He was one on one against much bigger and more athletic bodies and I really though he held his own down there to say the least.
What did you expect in the second half coming out of the locker room?
"Well, they rushed us. The pressure went up, they (ASU) got back on the glass, they got a couple of run ups and than next thing you know it is 24 to whatever it was when I called a timeout. But you have to give our guys credit, I thought we settled in and bounced back. When they are playing starters 39 minutes (Kimani Lawrence), 31 minutes (Taeshon Cherry), and 34 minutes (Zylan Cheatham), that means we've done something right. I'm really proud of our guys and how we fought tonight."