After an 0-2 start in Big 12 Conference play, the Arizona State Sun Devils hosted the seventh leading scorer in the nation (22.7 PPG) P.J. Haggerty and the Kansas State Wildcats.
Looking to bounce back after a 28-point loss to No.9 BYU, the Sun Devils are playing to avoid not only an 0-3 start in conference play, but a five-game losing streak.
Kansas State has had much of the same season as coming in at 0-2 in conference play, including a 25-point blowout to number one Arizona.
From tipoff, both teams started with exceptional defense.
But baskets were tough to get as both teams combined for 25 points in the first 10 minutes of the half.
Much of the first half was a defensive battle.
Arizona State forced five Kansas State turnovers, while also putting up seven blocks, five of which came from Massamba Diop. The other two came from Anthony “Pig” Johnson. One of which being a tremendous chase down block on Hagretty.
As well as Arizona State played defensively in the first half, Kansas played just as well. They forced ASU to shoot 1-10 from the three-point line.
Kansas State also forced ASU into 10 first half turnovers.
Kansas would use the strong defense to prevail to a halftime lead of 38-36, led by P.J. Haggerty putting up 11 points.
Moe Odum led the way in scoring for the Sun Devils with 11 points.
After getting outrebounded in their first two games of conference play—Arizona State was able to do the same to Kansas 26-18 in the first half.
Starting the second half, Kansas State began hot making four of their first five shots to give them a seven-point lead.
But Arizona State never let the deficit exceed seven points.
Down six with 10 minutes left in the second half, the Sun Devils offense woke up and pushed an 18-3 run and a nine-point lead with 4:21 remaining.
Arizona State would ride a great stretch of basketball all the way to end with their first conference game seconds away when a couple of missed free throws and a P.J. Hagretty three-pointer cut the Sun Devil lead to one.
After Moe Odum nailed a pair of free throws to extend the lead to three, Hagretty’s half court heave would come up short resulting in ASU securing their first conference win of the season.
“This was much needed,” said Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley with regard to the win.
Despite only having four first half points, ASU’s Massamba Diop had a monstrous second half scoring 17 points, shooting 7/7 from the field and 3/4 from the free throw line.
Diop finished the game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
Arizona State snapped their four-game losing skid behind Diop’s big second half, and Santiago Trouet’s 10 points and 10 rebounds, seven of which came from offensive possessions.
“I thought Santi (Trouet) was a big part of our turnaround in that second half,” Hurley said on Trouet’s play.
Arizona State rode strong in the last 10 minutes to come out with an 87-84 win over Kansas State.
The Sun Devils enter the toughest part of their schedule as they travel to Tucson to take on the No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday, then travel to face No. 7 ranked Houston Cougars on Sunday the 18th.
