ASU Basketball was overwhelmed by the Cal Golden Bears in an 81-65 loss. This was the Sun Devils’ first misstep on the road this season.
Coming off of an exhilarating victory against Stanford, the Sun Devils had built up some positive momentum. The backcourt tandem of Torian Graham and Tra Holder has provided massive scoring over the past few weeks and hoped to continue the trend. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils found themselves outmatched when faced with the size and spacing of the Golden Bears.
The matchup held interesting backstory for ASU head coach Bobby Hurley, who has struggled against Cal previously. Hurley has yet to defeat Cal in his coaching career and famously dueled with Jason Kidd back in his playing days.
The first period of the New Year’s day showdown opened with a rare three-pointer by ASU forward Obinna Oleka. The ill-defended shot ushered in an offensive flurry by both teams throughout the period. At the half, 13 combined shots had connected from behind the arc and Cal held a manageable 38-37 lead.
More from Devils in Detail
- Sun Devils Primer: Game 2 vs Oklahoma State
- Sun Devil Insight: Quarterback Room
- Arizona State Spotlight: Kenny Dillingham
- Arizona State 2023 Season Opener: Off To A Good Start
- Arizona State vs USC Prediction and Promo (Expect Offensive Fireworks)
Star forward Ivan Rabb led all scorers with 16 points and 10 rebounds early. Despite minutes from freshman bigmen Jethro Tshisumpa and Ramon Villa, ASU had no tangible answer for Rabb’s versatile skillset.
Hurley’s fast-paced offense disappeared in the second half, when his team shot 31 percent from the field. The Sun Devils connected on just 9-29 attempts, ten of which were three-pointers. In addition, the Sun Devils went on a dreadful eight-minute stretch without a field goal made. Open shots were hard to find and ball movement was stagnant to say the least.
Strong defense produced efficient offense for the Golden Bears who scored 43 points in the half. Cal guard Grant Mullins finished the game with 20 points and four assists.
Obinna Oleka provided a bright spot for ASU by putting up 18 points and 8 rebounds. He led the team in scoring and was able to reach the foul line on multiple occasions. His constant effort resulted in a solid stat-line against lengthier defenders. The development and interior support of Tshisumpa and Villa will free Oleka up for similar scoring nights down the line.
Another positive aspect for Arizona State was the playmaking of Shannon Evans II. The junior guard dished out six assists and was able to create shots for his teammates. His court-vision will be an invaluable asset for the Sun Devils heading further into conference play.
The Sun Devils will return to Tempe for a matchup with Colorado on January 5th.