LAS VEGAS – Romello White tied his season high with 19 points (8-10 FGs) and Zylan Cheatham put up his 13th double-double of the season (13 points, 13 rebounds) to help lead Arizona State to a 83-72 win over UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Rob Edwards (15 points), Luguentz Dort (13 points) and Remy Martin (10 points, game-high six assists) also scored in double figures for the Sun Devils, who shot 49 percent for the game and were plus-eight on the boards (39-31). They also converted UCLA's 13 turnovers into 20 points.
Kris Wilkes (25 points) and Jaylen Hands (21 points) combined for 46 points to lead the Bruins.
The game's deciding sequence came late in the first half after the Bruins pulled within two points of the Sun Devils. Kimani Lawrence's jumper with 3:28 remaining ignited a 14-0 run that enabled ASU to take control of the game. ASU's last four field goals of the half were triples – two by Dort, one by Edwards and another by Lawrence, whose prayer at the buzzer was answered.
"Proud of the effort of the guys," ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. "I thought it as the first half wore along, we moved the ball along better, especially the last three and a half minutes after they cut it to two. Just Lu hit a couple big threes, but the ball was popping and moving, and then our defense was really active with the pressure and getting deflections. So I don't think we could have finished a half better.
"And then we carried that into the way we started the second half and built a really good advantage. They have players that can really get hot in a game, (Kris) Wilkes and (Jaylen) Hands, very explosive-type players. We were able to battle through that and get the job done."
ROMELLO WHITE TOP SCORING TILTS (bold this year)
25 vs. Northern Arizona (11/17/17)
22 vs. St. John's at STAPLES (12/8/17)
21 at Washington State (2/4/18)
19 vs. UCLA (3/14/19/Pac-12 Tournament)
19 vs. Colorado (1/5/19)
19 vs. Texas Southern (12/1/18)
19 at Stanford (1/17/18)
19 vs. Kansas State in Las Vegas (11/23/17)
The Sun Devils started the second half with a 14-7 run and took their largest lead of the game after Edwards' 3-pointer put ASU up 59-36 with 15:37 remaining.
SUN DEVIL SEASON DOUBLE-DOUBLES (PAC-10/12 ERA OF 1978-79 TO PRESENT)
Obi Oleka, Sr., 2016-17, 16
Ike Diogu, Jr., 2004-05, 15
Zylan Cheatham, Sr., 2018-19, 13
Carrick Felix, Sr., 2012-13, 13
Kurt Nimphius, Sr., 1979-80, 13
The Bruins countered with a 17-3 run to get within nine points with under nine minutes left, but the Sun Devils responded with eight of the game's next 11 points to push their lead back to 14, 70-56, after White's layup with 6:19 left in the game.
The Sun Devils (22-9), the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will face Oregon (21-12), the No. 6 seed, in the second of Friday's two semifinal matchups (8:30 p.m. PT). The game can be seen on ESPN.
Rob Edwards (15 points), Luguentz Dort (13 points) and Remy Martin (10 points, game-high six assists) also scored in double figures for the Sun Devils, who shot 49 percent for the game and were plus-eight on the boards (39-31). They also converted UCLA's 13 turnovers into 20 points.
Kris Wilkes (25 points) and Jaylen Hands (21 points) combined for 46 points to lead the Bruins.
The game's deciding sequence came late in the first half after the Bruins pulled within two points of the Sun Devils. Kimani Lawrence's jumper with 3:28 remaining ignited a 14-0 run that enabled ASU to take control of the game. ASU's last four field goals of the half were triples – two by Dort, one by Edwards and another by Lawrence, whose prayer at the buzzer was answered.
Closing out the half in style ???? pic.twitter.com/IF5Hg87JAx
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 15, 2019
"Proud of the effort of the guys," ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. "I thought it as the first half wore along, we moved the ball along better, especially the last three and a half minutes after they cut it to two. Just Lu hit a couple big threes, but the ball was popping and moving, and then our defense was really active with the pressure and getting deflections. So I don't think we could have finished a half better.
"And then we carried that into the way we started the second half and built a really good advantage. They have players that can really get hot in a game, (Kris) Wilkes and (Jaylen) Hands, very explosive-type players. We were able to battle through that and get the job done."
ROMELLO WHITE TOP SCORING TILTS (bold this year)
25 vs. Northern Arizona (11/17/17)
22 vs. St. John's at STAPLES (12/8/17)
21 at Washington State (2/4/18)
19 vs. UCLA (3/14/19/Pac-12 Tournament)
19 vs. Colorado (1/5/19)
19 vs. Texas Southern (12/1/18)
19 at Stanford (1/17/18)
19 vs. Kansas State in Las Vegas (11/23/17)
The Sun Devils started the second half with a 14-7 run and took their largest lead of the game after Edwards' 3-pointer put ASU up 59-36 with 15:37 remaining.
SUN DEVIL SEASON DOUBLE-DOUBLES (PAC-10/12 ERA OF 1978-79 TO PRESENT)
Obi Oleka, Sr., 2016-17, 16
Ike Diogu, Jr., 2004-05, 15
Zylan Cheatham, Sr., 2018-19, 13
Carrick Felix, Sr., 2012-13, 13
Kurt Nimphius, Sr., 1979-80, 13
The Bruins countered with a 17-3 run to get within nine points with under nine minutes left, but the Sun Devils responded with eight of the game's next 11 points to push their lead back to 14, 70-56, after White's layup with 6:19 left in the game.
The Sun Devils (22-9), the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will face Oregon (21-12), the No. 6 seed, in the second of Friday's two semifinal matchups (8:30 p.m. PT). The game can be seen on ESPN.