On Saturday afternoon, Oregon State, making a very spirited second-half comeback, snuck a 7875 road win against Arizona State, and had remained calm until the end of the last minute.
Josiah Lake II also performed excellently by scoring 23 points and making the most of his 12 free throws. He also had nine assists, thus being instrumental in Oregon State's late-game execution. The fact that he remained calm in shooting the line during the final moments of the game was a bonus.
Second-Half Surge Turns the Tide
Oregon State was down by 4038 at the half, but with 40 in the second half, it came back. Arizona State was gaining ground momentarily at the beginning of the half, taking a 5547 lead with solid play by Massamba Diop and Maurice Odum. But Oregon State remained within reach by taking advantage of offensive rebounds, second-chance opportunities, as well as free-throw line visits.
The Beavers then lastly proceeded forward as Isaiah Sy scored a very important three-pointer in less than a minute to go.
Lake then made two free throws with 6 seconds remaining after a scramble with a turnover that took place subsequently. Oregon State then exerted defensive pressure to force back-to-back steals in the later stages to ensure Arizona State could not get a last-second retaliation.
Arizona State is Already Falling short of a good effort
Maurice Odum and Massamba Diop scored 17 and 16 points, respectively, and assisted six and five times, respectively, in leading the Sun Devils. Arizona State was only 45 percent on the field and hit only four of 19 three-point shots. The turnovers were also expensive because the Sun Devils made nine turnovers.
The win gave Oregon State a record of 76, and it was the first road win of the year. The ASU lost the game 9 to 4 after they were unable to close the game in the last minute despite having a lead in the second half.