Playing a game it needed to win, ASU basketball sustained a loss it could not afford – a 21-point defeat to Washington State.
Every Goliath has its David as all overwhelming favorites have a comparable underdog counterpart.
Arizona State (15-7, 6-4 Pac-12) found its match in Washington State, picking up a crucial 91-70 loss at home. Entering the game, the Sun Devils were largely on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, regarded as one of the final teams receiving a bye.
The Cougars (9-14, 2-8), second-to-last in the standings of an underwhelming conference, were primarily playing for pride.
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But after Thursday, there was no plausible way of knowing ASU was favored by double digits. In fact, it was the Cougars who looked to be playing for a postseason berth.
“I’m not into making excuses, there are none for this,” coach Bobby Hurley said. “You can’t beat the teams we’ve been able to beat and then, a team that hasn’t won a road game in their season comes in and beats you at this stage of the season.”
Leading the charge for WSU was senior forward Robert Franks, who had 23 of his 34 points in the first half, matching a career-high on 11-of-17 shooting accompanied by 14 rebounds.
Franks’ offensive game stretched the defense, knocking down five of the Cougars’ 12 3-pointers. But the 6-foot-7 wing had an impact that went beyond his own numbers, often dictating the defensive strategy of ASU.
His presence kept redshirt senior forward Zylan Cheatham primarily on the perimeter, having to recover multiple times in a single possession and was caught off guard when Franks operated with his back to the basket.
“Franks, it was pretty easy to see why people view him as a potential NBA candidate next year and why he’s leading the conference in scoring … we didn’t have any answers for him,” Hurley said.
While ASU attempted to contain Franks, freshman forward CJ Elleby came off the bench, playing a point-forward role for coach Ernie Kent. At 6-foot-6 with ASU switching screens on Franks, Elleby was constantly a mismatch as well as the catalyst to the Cougars ball movement.
Extra passes by the Cougars complemented by Sun Devil defenders closing late on shooters was a lethal combination.
WSU assisted on 14 of its 16 made shots in the first half. Overall, Elleby had nine assists, one shy of a triple-double.
A 22-point effort by freshman guard Luguentz Dort was the lone highlight in an otherwise bleak offensive performance from the Sun Devils. Junior guard Rob Edwards went 1-of-9 from deep, finishing with six points.
As a team, ASU was 5-of-33 from beyond the arc.
A loss that stings regardless of record, Thursday’s outcome additionally figures to negatively impact the Sun Devils come Selection Sunday as the Cougars are thoroughly embedded within Quadrant 4 of the NET ratings.
“There really wasn’t anything overly positive you could say,” Hurley said. “This was a pretty damaging loss for us.”
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.