DAYTON, Ohio – Luguentz Dort scored 21 points, Zylan Cheatham posted his 14th double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) and the Arizona State men's basketball team is still dancing after the Sun Devils knocked off St. John's 74-65 in the final First Four game of the week Wednesday.
The Sun Devils (23-10, No. 11 seed in the West Region), who posted their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2009 – and the first for head coach Bobby Hurley – move on to Friday's first round where they will face No. 6 seed Buffalo in Tulsa.
The two teams split the game's first 16 points before the Sun Devils put some separation between themselves and the Red Storm (21-13) with a 16-2 run that put ASU in front 24-10 after Remy Martin's jumper midway through the first half.
Another jumper by Martin, this one with 6:27 left, gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 33-15.
Dort (11 points), the 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and Cheatham (six points), a 2019 All-Pac-12 honoree, combined for 17 points over the first 20 minutes to help the Sun Devils take a 38-25 lead into the locker room.
The duo of Dort (10 points/6-7 FTs) and Cheatham (eight points/5-6 FTs) accounted for half of ASU's 36 points in the second half to help the Sun Devils remain in control.
While not as accurate with their shooting in the second half (35 percent), the Sun Devils drilled 76 percent of their attempts at the free throw line where they scored 19 of their 36 second-half points.
The Red Storm got within seven points four different times but would get no closer as the Sun Devils would not be denied on this night.
The Sun Devils are currently in the midst of their 16th NCAA appearance and the first time they have made it back-to-back years since the 1980-81.
WORST OPPONENT SHOOTING NIGHTS VS. ASU IN BOBBY HURLEY ERA
.274/17-62 by Long Beach State (Nov. 12, 2018)
.286/18-63 by San Francisco (Dec. 2, 2017)
.311/19-61 by Texas A&M (Dec. 5, 2015)
.317/19-60 by Northern Arizona (Nov. 11, 2017)
.319/22-69 by St. John's (Mar. 20, 2019)
.319/15-47 McNeese State (Nov. 9, 2018)
The Sun Devils (23-10, No. 11 seed in the West Region), who posted their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2009 – and the first for head coach Bobby Hurley – move on to Friday's first round where they will face No. 6 seed Buffalo in Tulsa.
The two teams split the game's first 16 points before the Sun Devils put some separation between themselves and the Red Storm (21-13) with a 16-2 run that put ASU in front 24-10 after Remy Martin's jumper midway through the first half.
Another jumper by Martin, this one with 6:27 left, gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 33-15.
Dort (11 points), the 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and Cheatham (six points), a 2019 All-Pac-12 honoree, combined for 17 points over the first 20 minutes to help the Sun Devils take a 38-25 lead into the locker room.
SUN DEVIL FRESHMAN 20-POINT GAMES (1972-73 to present)
18, Jahii Carson, 2012-13
16, James Harden, 2007-08
12, Ike Diogu, 2002-03
9, Luguentz Dort, 2018-19
The duo of Dort (10 points/6-7 FTs) and Cheatham (eight points/5-6 FTs) accounted for half of ASU's 36 points in the second half to help the Sun Devils remain in control.
While not as accurate with their shooting in the second half (35 percent), the Sun Devils drilled 76 percent of their attempts at the free throw line where they scored 19 of their 36 second-half points.
The Red Storm got within seven points four different times but would get no closer as the Sun Devils would not be denied on this night.
The Sun Devils are currently in the midst of their 16th NCAA appearance and the first time they have made it back-to-back years since the 1980-81.
WORST OPPONENT SHOOTING NIGHTS VS. ASU IN BOBBY HURLEY ERA
.274/17-62 by Long Beach State (Nov. 12, 2018)
.286/18-63 by San Francisco (Dec. 2, 2017)
.311/19-61 by Texas A&M (Dec. 5, 2015)
.317/19-60 by Northern Arizona (Nov. 11, 2017)
.319/22-69 by St. John's (Mar. 20, 2019)
.319/15-47 McNeese State (Nov. 9, 2018)
ZYLAN'S DOUBLE-DOUBLES (14)
14/10 vs. St. John's (3/20/19)
13/13 vs. UCLA (3/14/19)
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)