The Sun Devil men's basketball team fell to the USC Trojans 69-67, splitting the Los Angeles road trip after defeating UCLA on Thursday. Arizona State (14-6, 5-3 Pac-12) failed to convert on a bucket after the Trojans (12-8, 5-2) took the two-point advantage on a Bennie Boatwright pull-up triple with 14 seconds on the clock.
It marked the fourth straight game between ASU and USC that was decided by three-point or less.
Scoring came in bunches at the Galen Center, dictating the momentum of the contest all evening long. ASU pushed an 18-5 run in the first half and used a personal 8-0 run from Remy Martin to have the one-point lead with just over two minutes in the game.
Martin was one of four in double figures for ASU, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and seven assists. Zylan Cheatham also scored 10, grabbing 14 rebounds after notching 20 just a few days prior.
Cheatham now has eight double-doubles as a Sun Devil and hit four of his last five shots against the Trojans.
ASU VS. USC PAST FOUR GAMES
@USC 69, ASU 67/Jan. 26, 2019
ASU 80, USC 78/Feb. 8, 2018
ASU 83, USC 82/ Feb. 26, 2017
@USC 82, ASU 79/ Jan. 22, 2017
USC's 11-0 run to open the second half was one of the keys in the game, forcing ASU to play from behind after leading at the break. The Devils were exceptional from the line, converting on 22-of-25 free-throw attempts including two clutch makes by Luguentz Dort that gave ASU the 67-66 lead with 24 seconds remaining.
After outrebounding USC on Saturday, Arizona State has won the rebound battle against 17-of-20 opponents this year and scored nine points on second-chance efforts. Behind Kimani Lawrence's 10, Sparky got 21 points from the bench without Taeshon Cherry (injury).
MOST REBOUNDS BY ASU IN PAC-12 GAME (2007-08 TO PRESENT/PAST 13 SEASONS)
53 vs. UCLA (Jan. 26, 2013)
49 at USC (Jan. 26, 2019)
49 at Oregon State (Jan. 10, 2013)
Romello White battled in the paint all night against the Trojan bigs, getting to the line for eight shots where he made seven of those attempts. He added seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
Arizona State's struggle from the field, especially in the second half, hurt the visitors down the stretch. In addition to Sparky's 15 turnovers, the game was poised to come down the stretch with the game close from start.
ASU has won five of their last seven games and looks to bounce back against the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. The tip-off from Wells Fargo Arena can be viewed on ESPN2 and heard on ESPN Radio 620 AM.
It marked the fourth straight game between ASU and USC that was decided by three-point or less.
Scoring came in bunches at the Galen Center, dictating the momentum of the contest all evening long. ASU pushed an 18-5 run in the first half and used a personal 8-0 run from Remy Martin to have the one-point lead with just over two minutes in the game.
Martin was one of four in double figures for ASU, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and seven assists. Zylan Cheatham also scored 10, grabbing 14 rebounds after notching 20 just a few days prior.
Cheatham now has eight double-doubles as a Sun Devil and hit four of his last five shots against the Trojans.
ASU VS. USC PAST FOUR GAMES
@USC 69, ASU 67/Jan. 26, 2019
ASU 80, USC 78/Feb. 8, 2018
ASU 83, USC 82/ Feb. 26, 2017
@USC 82, ASU 79/ Jan. 22, 2017
USC's 11-0 run to open the second half was one of the keys in the game, forcing ASU to play from behind after leading at the break. The Devils were exceptional from the line, converting on 22-of-25 free-throw attempts including two clutch makes by Luguentz Dort that gave ASU the 67-66 lead with 24 seconds remaining.
After outrebounding USC on Saturday, Arizona State has won the rebound battle against 17-of-20 opponents this year and scored nine points on second-chance efforts. Behind Kimani Lawrence's 10, Sparky got 21 points from the bench without Taeshon Cherry (injury).
MOST REBOUNDS BY ASU IN PAC-12 GAME (2007-08 TO PRESENT/PAST 13 SEASONS)
53 vs. UCLA (Jan. 26, 2013)
49 at USC (Jan. 26, 2019)
49 at Oregon State (Jan. 10, 2013)
Romello White battled in the paint all night against the Trojan bigs, getting to the line for eight shots where he made seven of those attempts. He added seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
Arizona State's struggle from the field, especially in the second half, hurt the visitors down the stretch. In addition to Sparky's 15 turnovers, the game was poised to come down the stretch with the game close from start.
ASU has won five of their last seven games and looks to bounce back against the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. The tip-off from Wells Fargo Arena can be viewed on ESPN2 and heard on ESPN Radio 620 AM.