ASU Basketball soared past the UNLV Rebels in a 97-73 victory tonight. The Sun Devils tied a program record for the most three pointers made in a game with 18.
The Sun Devils bounced back after being routed by No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday night with a massive offensive showing against the Rebels.
This was a huge test in ASU’s ability to overcome defeat and remain confident in their abilities before facing their next ranked opponent in No. 15 Purdue in New York City.
Despite early foul trouble collectively, ASU surged with six three-pointers in the opening seven minutes, hitting six of seven from deep while building a commanding 20-6 lead. Torian Graham led the way, starting his night 3-3 on threes with little hesitation, resulting in a 22-point night.
The first Sun Devil to enter early foul trouble was Obinna Oleka, who picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, forcing freshman center Jethro Tshisumpa into the game earlier than usual.
“I thought he had a positive influence on the minutes he had early in the game just with his presence around the basket,” head coach Bobby Hurley said.
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The Sun Devils ended the half on a 9-0 run completed by a heavily-contested Kodi Justice three-pointer and a Shannon Evans II and-one layup with three seconds remaining. The range of ASU’s guards was stellar in the first half. Evans, Graham, and junior guard Tra Holder were unguardable, combining for 36 points on 63 percent shooting from behind the arc.
“Tonight, everybody had it going so it didn’t matter who shot it, we were just trying to drive and kick to find the open person,” Graham said.
ASU held a sizable 51-32 lead at halftime built through an onslaught of assists and deep range bombs. The Sun Devils had 10 assists and only four turnovers at the half, but committed 14 fouls resulting in 13 made free throws by the Rebels.
The hot hand of the Sun Devils held consistent through the second half, when Evans exploded for 15 more points. He scored a game-high 28 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.
“We still wanted to be aggressive, we preach a forty minute game and I feel like we played close to a forty minute game tonight so it was great,” Evans said.
Evans continued to build on a hot streak by showing off an extensive offense skill set while shooting efficiently; something that was nonexistent during the previous seven games. This is a game that Evans can learn from while continuing to adapt to Hurley’s system .
Next: ASU MBB: Sun Devils Steamrolled by Kentucky
With the win, Arizona State improves to 5-3, including a perfect 4-0 at Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils will next travel to New York City to play No. 15 Purdue in the Jimmy V Classic.