Devils in Detail
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ASU MBB: A Strong Start Doesn’t Always Equal A Win

By Hunter Robinson

Dec 20, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Maurice Watson Jr. (10) defends Arizona State Sun Devils guard Tra Holder (0) during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. Creighton won 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Maurice Watson Jr. (10) defends Arizona State Sun Devils guard Tra Holder (0) during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. Creighton won 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a promising start saw Wells Fargo Arena become deafening, the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays silenced the crowd as they improved to 12-0 after a 96-85 victory over the Sun Devils.

If you only watched the first five minutes of the game, you would have thought that ASU was on their way to being the number one team in the country. An early 9-0 lead wouldn’t last however as poor perimeter defense led to Creighton taking the lead mid-way through the first half and never letting go.

The poor perimeter defense led to Creighton being 14-25 from behind the arc. Their leading three-point shooter was Toby Hegner who was 4-5 from three. The inability to stop the three is what sunk the Sun Devils in their first loss at home against a ranked non-conference opponent since 1983.

While the defense wasn’t able to shake off their perimeter woes, the offense got back on track and showed that they could compete with the best. Tra Holder did a great job of not only knocking down the three ball, but getting inside and muscling the ball in from the post. He finished the night with 24 points.

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Torian Graham also had a nice night shooting wise. He was tied with Holder for the team lead in points with 24, but he also continued to show just how important he is for the Sun Devils. If he can take his strong shooting performance from the non-conference schedule into the conference season, then he could be looking at a nice stat-line come the end of the season.

This game didn’t go in ASU’s favor, but it wasn’t all bad. While there were moments where the team looked cringe-worthy, there were also times where you could see just how bright the future is for Sun Devil basketball. Tonight’s game proved that ASU can compete against anyone if they are able to get their offense going how they want.

ASU’s next matchup with be on Thursday when they host Central Arkansas. They will look to get one more win before their in-conference schedule starts.

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