LOS ANGELES – Arizona State Men’s Basketball fell to UCLA on the road in historic Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday.
The Sun Devils' (9-3) three-game win streak was snapped by the Bruins (8-3), who moved to 7-0 at home. It wasn't for a lack of effort from the Sun Devils, who put together several valiant comeback efforts that kept the game in the balance. Eventually, a 54% shooting performance by UCLA from behind the arc was too much to overcome.
Despite the loss, it was a historic free-throw shooting effort from Arizona State. They delivered the second-best FT% performance in program history, finishing an incredible 25-of-26 (96.2%) from the line. Senior guard Anthony "Pig" Johnson was the catalyst behind the free-throw effort, as he finished a perfect 14-of-14 from the line. He scored a career-best 20 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Freshman center Massamba Diop was outstanding yet again, scoring 15 points and collecting seven rebounds. Junior forward Andrija Grbovic had his second-straight game with 13 points, matching a season-high. Senior guard Moe Odum matched his season-best with nine assists in addition to his 10 points.
The Sun Devils look to complete a successful non-conference campaign when they return to Desert Financial Arena on Sunday. They will face-off with another old Pac-12 Conference foe, as Oregon State comes to Tempe on Dec. 21 for a 1 p.m. MST matchup.
Series history
Arizona State and UCLA renewed an old Pac-12 Conference rivalry at Pauley Pavilion. It was the 101st meeting between the two sides and the first since 2024. The two programs will meet next year in the second leg of a home-and-home series agreement.
Non-conference on the road under Hurley
Even with the setback tonight, ASU is still 11-8 in non-conference road games under Bobby Hurley. That is significant when you consider the program went 9-21 in such games its previous 30 prior to his arrival. Hawaii joined SMU, Creighton (twice), Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Princeton, Georgia, No. 2 Kansas, San Diego State
When Pigs fly
Senior guard Anthony "Pig" Johnson has emerged as one of the nation’s best sixth men, coming off the bench to provide energy and scoring while living up to his nickname. “Pig” has 10 or more points in 10 of 12 games, with eight of those performances coming off the bench. His 20 points against UCLA were a new season-high. 17 of those points came in the second half, as he took over the game after the break. Johnson went a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line, one of only five NCAA Division I players to make 14 or more from the stripe without a miss this season. Dating back to the Santa Clara game, Johnson has made 22 consecutive free throws.
Top Individual FT% NCAA Division I 2025-26 season
19-of-19 (100%) - Rowan Brumbaugh, Tulane (vs Texas State, 11/8/25)
15-of-15 (100%) - Kam Sanders, Air Force (vs South Dakota, 11/29/25)
14-of-14 (100%) - Pig Johnson, Arizona State (at UCLA, 12/17/25)
14-of-14 (100%) - Matas Vokietaitis, Texas (vs Southern, 12/8/25)
14-of-14 (100%) - Simeon Cottle, Kennesaw St. (vs FGCU, 11/26/25)
He is second on the team, averaging 14.0 points per game while shooting 46-for-92 (50.0%) from the field. He produces well and efficiently while playing only 22.1 minutes a game. Johnson also leads the team with 89 free throw attempts (18th nationally; 2nd in Big 12) and is second in the team in steals (16) and assists (21).
Getting to the line
A bright spot in the loss was Arizona State's historic success from the free-throw line. The Sun Devils finished 25-of-26 (96.2%) from the stripe, including connecting on their first 25 attempts of the game. It is the second-best free-throw shooting performance in program history and the best in a game in which the Sun Devils attempted 20 or more free throws. ASU's performance at the line was the tied for the seventh-best at the NCAA Division I level this season.
Sun Devil best FT% (min. 15 att.)
1.000 (19-of-19) vs. Arizona, Feb. 4, 1978
.962 (25-of-26) at UCLA, Dec. 17, 2025
.950 (19-of-20) vs. UCLA, Feb. 12, 2004
.941 (16-of-17) at Oregon, Feb. 5, 2009
.938 (15-of-16) vs. Southern Illinois, Mar. 20, 2008
.938 (15-of-16) at Oregon, Jan. 24, 1998
.938 (15-of-16) vs. New Mexico, Jan. 5, 1973
.933 (14-of-15) at California, Jan. 6, 1996
.929 (26-of-28) vs. Grand Canyon, Dec. 9, 2021
.923 (24-of-26) vs. CS -L.A., Dec 19, 1981
Top Team FT% NCAA Division I 2025-26 season
30-of-30 (100%) - Tulane (vs Texas State, 11/8/25)
22-of-22 (100%) - Florida Atlantic (vs Saint Leo, 12/10/25)
21-of-21 (100%) - Yale (vs Akron, 11/24/25)
16-of-16 (100%) - Indiana (vs Alabama A&M, 11/5/25)
15-of-15 (100%) - Holy Cross (vs Hampton, 11/16/25)
31-of-32 (96.9%) - San Diego (vs Grambling, 11/18/25)
25-of-26 (96.2%) - Arizona State (at UCLA, 12/17/25)
25-of-26 (96.2%) - Sacred Heart (Central Connecticut State, 11/24/25)
First half
Pauley Pavilion provided a familiar settling for the Sun Devil Men’s Basketball. The UCLA defense had the advantage early, as ASU struggled from the field early. Grbovic showed his ball-handling ability, successfully completing a rip-through move and driving to the basket to convert a contest layup. Arizona State’s defense rose to the occasion, holding UCLA to 2-of-8 to start, allowing them to stay within striking distance. A pair of Massamba Diop buckets were the other early offense that helped the visitors settle in. The Sun Devils held the Bruins scoreless for 4:24 to keep the game 11-6 at the under 12 media timeout.
Arizona State finally got going in transition, taking advantage of a fast break opportunity. A Meeusen steal led to a Johnson layup through contact, converting the three-point play at the line. Just when the Bruins appeared to be pulling away building a 24-9 lead, the Sun Devils answered with a 7-0 run. A hard-fought bucket inside by Diop got it started, followed by a Meeusen triple. Odum cashed in on a Trouet steal to make it 24-16 UCLA. Diop’s presence inside proved to be a handful for UCLA, as he completed the three-point play.
Despite a major discrepancy in three-point shooting, the Sun Devils still managed to keep the deficit in single digits. Adams Jr. broke through from deep with a triple, followed by a three-point play by Odum that cut it to 35-27. Arizona State came through from free throw line, scoring there next four points from the stripe courtesy of Odum and Grbovic. The Bruins closed on a 6-0 thanks to a pair of deep balls, finishing the half 7-of-12 from behind the arc leading to a 45-33 advantage at the break.
Second half
The offensive adjustments made by Coach Hurley at the half immediately paid off, as the Sun Devils scored on each of their first three possessions. Grbovic got the scoring going from midrange, followed by back-to-back buckets from Trouet. UCLA responded with an 8-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, with Coach Hurley taking a timeout with the score 55-39 Bruins.
UCLA’s efficient shooting did not deter the ASU offense, as they continued to feed Diop. He converted down low right out of the timeout. Odum set up Meeusen for a wide open triple, which he nailed, cutting the lead to 55-44. Consecutive inside finishes by Trouet and Mukeba offset more scoring from UCLA guard Donavan Dent. Johnson proceeded to take over, making up for time lost having to sit out with foul trouble. He converted four consecutive free throw attempts, earning the final two after hustling for an offensive rebound.
Coming out of the under 12-minute timeout, the Sun Devils executed a play to get Grbovic an open look from three, which he drained to pull ASU within 61-55. Five straight points from Johnson, who continued to attack the Bruins defense, cut the lead to just five points with 9:33 remaining. UCLA seemed to always have an answer for the ASU run, as Bruins’ guard Trent Perry hit a three and then assisted on a three to push the lead back to double digits. This still did not discourage the Sun Devils, who had one more answer in them.
The aggressiveness from Johnson never stopped, as he applied pressure to the interior of the Bruins’ defense. He connected on four consecutive attempts from the line, startging the game 10-of-10. There were several late surges sparked by several different Sun Devils, but UCLA was always able to provide an answer, usually via the three-point shot. The Bruins finished 14-of-26 (53.8%) from deep, helping them secure a 90-77 victory.
Up next
Sun Devil Men’s Basketball returns to Desert Financial Arena to finish their non-conference schedule, as they meet on another old Pac-12 foe. Arizona State will take on Oregon State on Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. MST in your last chance to see the Maroon and Gold before the Holiday break. The broadcast can be found on ESPN2, with the game also available on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).
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Head coach Bobby Hurley (X: @BobbyHurley11)