For the first time since 2013-14, Arizona State has back-to-back 20-win seasons and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament. After beating the Oregon State in Tempe earlier this season, the Sun Devils (20-9; 11-6 in Pac-12) swept the season series.
For the sixth time this season, the Sun Devils erased a halftime deficit and won the game. In gritty fashion, Arizona State outlasted Oregon State (17-11; 9-7 Pac-12) at Gill Coliseum 74-71 to clinch the second seed and the first-round bye. It matched the best Pac-12 road halftime comeback in the past 13 seasons.
ROAD HALFTIME COMEBACK DEFICIT (DOWN 7 OR MORE) PAST 13 SEASONS
(-14) @Georgia 47, #20 ASU 33/Dec. 15, 2018/# 20 ASU 76, @Georgia 74
(-12) @UNLV 37, ASU 25/Dec. 16, 2015/ASU 66, @UNLV 56
(-8) @Creighton 41, ASU 33/Dec. 2, 2015/ASU 79, @Creighton 77
(-7) @Oregon State 37, ASU 30/Mar. 3, 2019/ASU 74, @Oregon State 71
(-7) @San Diego State 32, ASU 25/Dec. 10, 2016/ASU 74, @San Diego State 63
(-7) @Stanford 35, ASU 28/Feb. 25, 2010/ASU 68, @Stanford 60
For the eighth time (8-1) in games following a loss, the Sun Devils bounced back in victory fashion.
For the 12th time this season, the Sun Devils have won (12-1) while holding their opponent to under 40 percent from the field.
Oregon State and Arizona State traded buckets for the majority of the second half after a 9-2 Sun Devil run out of the break that knotted up the game. Up one point with just under a minute remaining, ASU's offense got the basketball left of the high post where it found Luguentz Dort open for three.
He buried it, arguably his biggest shot of the year. It was his fourth three-pointer made of the night, part of his team-high 20 points and eighth such performance this year.
20-POINT GAMES FOR LUGUENTZ DORT (8)
33 vs. Utah State @Las Vegas, Nov. 21, 2018
28 vs. Cal State Fullerton, Nov. 6, 2018
25 vs. McNeese State, Nov. 9, 2018
24 vs. #6 Nevada, Dec. 7, 2018
22 vs. California, Feb. 24, 2019
22 vs. Washington State, Feb. 7, 2019
21 at Colorado, Feb. 13, 2019
20 at Oregon State, Mar. 3, 2019
"I feel like I was in a good rhythm tonight," said Dort. "I know I haven't been shooting for a high percentage, but a lot of times when I shoot and miss I know how to fix it, so I am confident the next time. Even when they were recruiting me, that was a big thing. I knew they had a lot of confidence in me."
Then again up one with four seconds on the game clock, Dort stepped to the line and hit two free-throws that forced Oregon State to tie with a half-court heave. OSU's Stephen Thompson Jr. couldn't connect and ASU left Corvallis with a road split.
The Sun Devils were battling severe foul trouble, precisely the last 17 minutes of the game. Five players on ASU's roster had at least three fouls and were without Taeshon Cherry in the second half who did not return after taking a hit to the face. Hurley noted after the game that he is unsure if it was a concussion and wanted further evaluation before putting him back on the floor.
The defense answered the call through it all. After a Tres Tinkle three at the 6:28 mark, Oregon State failed to convert on a field goal for over five minutes until Tinkle's running layup with under a minute to go.
"We had each others' backs," said Edwards. "We trust each other if one guy is in trouble, someone else needed to step up, and we did that."
Sparky shot 47.2 percent and had four in double figures led by Dort's 20, Edwards and Remy Martin's 13, and Zylan Cheatham's 12. Cheatham added 10 rebounds, his 12th double-double.
For the sixth time this season, the Sun Devils erased a halftime deficit and won the game. In gritty fashion, Arizona State outlasted Oregon State (17-11; 9-7 Pac-12) at Gill Coliseum 74-71 to clinch the second seed and the first-round bye. It matched the best Pac-12 road halftime comeback in the past 13 seasons.
ROAD HALFTIME COMEBACK DEFICIT (DOWN 7 OR MORE) PAST 13 SEASONS
(-14) @Georgia 47, #20 ASU 33/Dec. 15, 2018/# 20 ASU 76, @Georgia 74
(-12) @UNLV 37, ASU 25/Dec. 16, 2015/ASU 66, @UNLV 56
(-8) @Creighton 41, ASU 33/Dec. 2, 2015/ASU 79, @Creighton 77
(-7) @Oregon State 37, ASU 30/Mar. 3, 2019/ASU 74, @Oregon State 71
(-7) @San Diego State 32, ASU 25/Dec. 10, 2016/ASU 74, @San Diego State 63
(-7) @Stanford 35, ASU 28/Feb. 25, 2010/ASU 68, @Stanford 60
For the eighth time (8-1) in games following a loss, the Sun Devils bounced back in victory fashion.
For the 12th time this season, the Sun Devils have won (12-1) while holding their opponent to under 40 percent from the field.
Oregon State and Arizona State traded buckets for the majority of the second half after a 9-2 Sun Devil run out of the break that knotted up the game. Up one point with just under a minute remaining, ASU's offense got the basketball left of the high post where it found Luguentz Dort open for three.
He buried it, arguably his biggest shot of the year. It was his fourth three-pointer made of the night, part of his team-high 20 points and eighth such performance this year.
20-POINT GAMES FOR LUGUENTZ DORT (8)
33 vs. Utah State @Las Vegas, Nov. 21, 2018
28 vs. Cal State Fullerton, Nov. 6, 2018
25 vs. McNeese State, Nov. 9, 2018
24 vs. #6 Nevada, Dec. 7, 2018
22 vs. California, Feb. 24, 2019
22 vs. Washington State, Feb. 7, 2019
21 at Colorado, Feb. 13, 2019
20 at Oregon State, Mar. 3, 2019
"I feel like I was in a good rhythm tonight," said Dort. "I know I haven't been shooting for a high percentage, but a lot of times when I shoot and miss I know how to fix it, so I am confident the next time. Even when they were recruiting me, that was a big thing. I knew they had a lot of confidence in me."
Then again up one with four seconds on the game clock, Dort stepped to the line and hit two free-throws that forced Oregon State to tie with a half-court heave. OSU's Stephen Thompson Jr. couldn't connect and ASU left Corvallis with a road split.
The Sun Devils were battling severe foul trouble, precisely the last 17 minutes of the game. Five players on ASU's roster had at least three fouls and were without Taeshon Cherry in the second half who did not return after taking a hit to the face. Hurley noted after the game that he is unsure if it was a concussion and wanted further evaluation before putting him back on the floor.
The defense answered the call through it all. After a Tres Tinkle three at the 6:28 mark, Oregon State failed to convert on a field goal for over five minutes until Tinkle's running layup with under a minute to go.
"We had each others' backs," said Edwards. "We trust each other if one guy is in trouble, someone else needed to step up, and we did that."
Sparky shot 47.2 percent and had four in double figures led by Dort's 20, Edwards and Remy Martin's 13, and Zylan Cheatham's 12. Cheatham added 10 rebounds, his 12th double-double.
ZYLAN CHEATHAM ASU DOUBLE-DOUBLES (12)
12/10 at Oregon State (3/3/19)
24/10 at Utah (2/16)
12/10 at Colorado (2/13/19)
11/22 vs. Arizona (1/31/19)
10/14 at USC (1/26/19)
10/13 vs. Oregon State (1/17/19)
13/11 vs. #1 Kansas (12/22/18)
10/10 at Georgia (12/15/18)
13/10 vs. #6 Nevada (12/7/18)
14/13/10 vs. Texas Southern (12/1/18)
13/12/9 vs. Omaha (11/28/18)
16/12/6 vs. McNeese State (11/9/18)