Massamba Diop was the only player to define 73-48 win of Arizona State over Northern Arizona. The 7-foot-1 center delivered a career-best performance, dominating inside and swinging the game in ASU’s favor. Where other scorers started slowly, Diop was the anchor man on both ends of the floor with ASU in charge the whole game.
How Diop took over the game
Arizona State had opened its inside game early and had assiduously been feeding the ball to Diop, standing up tower-like over the undersized Lumberjacks. NAU did not have answers to his size and touch on the rim. ASU made 40 of their 73 points in the paint, with Diop leading the example of rough, efficient play in the interior.
Diop gave the most effective scoring performance; that he has ever had in college. He also scored a personal best of 19 points and made his shots 8-of-10 (80%). His skill to turn almost all his touches into a basket turned him into the center of the ASU offense for the entire night.
Northern Arizona briefly threatened to cut into the lead early in the second half, but Diop quickly shut down their run. He returned to the game and made an instant score, through a silky jump hook, and proceeded to a forceful alley-oop dunk. Those plays triggered a 13-0 Sun Devils rush to make what would have been a competitive match, a decisive blowout.
Diop was not only a scoring influence. His presence alone in the lane had changed shot after shot and added to the troubles of Northern Arizona on the floor. In the second half, the Lumberjacks managed just 7-of-27 shots, largely due to Diop’s defensive presence.
Diop contributed to supporting the team with six rebounds and three assists in only 24 minutes, which proves that he was not just a scoring player. He was a reliable defensive player who assisted with plays made out of the post and offered stability when ASU's best scorer, Moe Odum, had lost his pace.
A Breakout Performance
The obvious driving force of Arizona State was Massamba Diop. His most comprehensive performance to date, through efficient scoring, smart decision-making, and an efficient presence on the field defensively, came through. The Sun Devils have a young star who could take over the games when it would count the most; this game is a testament to it.