ASU Basketball: Sun Devils Escape Stanford On Graham’s Late Dagger

The ASU basketball team defeated Stanford 75-69 on late game heroics from guard Torian Graham. With the victory, the Sun Devils swept the season series against the Cardinal.

The confidence and shot creation of senior guard Torian Graham propelled ASU basketball to victory after hitting two three-pointers within the final minute and 15 seconds of the game.

Graham scored 24 points on 8-15 shooting to go with six rebounds and three steals.

“At the end of the game with three minutes left, I just told him ‘come on, I’m ready,” said Graham on his in-game conversation with head coach Bobby Hurley.

Graham, who leads the Sun Devils in scoring, shook off his worst performance of the season against Cal in a big way. In his previous game, Graham went 0-for-9 from behind the arc and finished the game with one point but  bounced back tonight with one of his best shooting nights of the year.

“We had a play to get Torian on the wing in space so he could go off the dribble,” said Hurley. “With his elevation, I know he can always create his own shot.”

Arizona State Sun Devils Basketball

Arizona State (12-14, 5-8) came out of the gates with the hot hand, scoring on four of their first seven possessions. An early 12-7 lead was built on stellar ball movement and efficient perimeter shooting from the starting lineup.

The Cardinal offense retaliated with a 10-0 run on the back of star forward Reid Travis. His athleticism and low-post efficiency surged Stanford’s offense throughout the night by drawing defenders and creating opportunities for his teammates. Travis finished the night with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Stanford (12-14, 4-9) led 33-32 heading into the half despite offensive droughts for both teams. Arizona State and Stanford struggled to connect on their shots, scoring on just two of their final ten attempts.

Cardinal forward Michael Humphrey dominated the paint in the first half with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes of play. Humphrey’s size and strength were a huge asset for coach Jerod Haase, as he doubled ASU’s offensive rebound total with six.

After a grueling start to the half for both teams, the Sun Devils fought back to tie the game at 59 with six minutes remaining. The Wells Fargo Arena crowd erupted with each made basket by Graham in the final stretch of the game.

“I also want to thank the atmosphere and the crowd, they really helped us tonight,” said Graham.

Clutch free throws by guards Tra Holder and Shannon Evans II iced the game for the Sun Devils who celebrated this victory in remembrance of Shawn Green, a fan who passed away in December. Shawn’s twin brother Shane was in attendance.

Poor passing and consistent fouling were the downfalls for Stanford, who committed 15 fouls and turned the ball over nine times in the second half. This allowed the Sun Devils to regain the lead after trailing by as much as nine points.

The Cardinal also struggled from the free throw line, connecting on just eight of their 16 attempts.

Arizona State’s ball movement was key in creating shots, as they totaled 16 assists on 23 made shots. Shannon Evans displayed his court vision by leading the team in assists with 6 despite a poor performance scoring the ball.

Next: Top Storylines for ASU Athletics in 2017

The Sun Devils will look to build on this performance when they face Washington on Feb. 16 at

Alaska Airlines Arena. That game can be seen on