ASU Basketball: First Four records smashed in 98-73 win over Nevada, Sun Devils advance to play TCU
Mar 16, 2023 - 4:10 AMDAYTON, Ohio - If one team stood out among the rest in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, it was Arizona State.
The Sun Devils erupted for their finest offensive performance of the season, and defeated Nevada 98-73 to solidify themselves as the No. 11 seed in the West region.
He levitated #MarchMadness @SunDevilHoops pic.twitter.com/AFRIrdkK6u
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023
“We’ve had other good games before but not like this,” coach Bobby Hurley said. “Every drill, every shot, they were dialed in.”
Hurley is right. There have been games this year — ones in primetime moments — that the Sun Devil offense is near peak form. They scored 87 against Michigan early in the season when the Wolverines were the No. 20 team in the nation. Desmond Cambridge Jr.’s buzzer-beater capped off an 89-point day for ASU. Against USC in a must-win game in the Pac-12 Tournament, they put up 77 points, which is seven points above the team average.
In an NCAA Tournament game, ASU scored a season-high 98 points. That is the highest total in an opening-round or First Four game in the history of the NCAA Tournament. It was also the second-highest point differential in the first round.
After a 53-point first half, the Sun Devils nearly duplicated that production in the second half. ASU shot 67.7% before halftime, and they finished the game with at 63.6%.
While they shot 52.4 (11-21) from deep, 36 points came inside the paint. They committed just seven turnovers.
Coming into the game, ASU was averaging just over 14 assists per-game. Twenty-one Sun Devil baskets came off an assist Wednesday night.
D.J. Horne led all ASU scorers with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Cambridge Jr. added 17, while his brother Devan Cambridge scored 15.
The @SunDevilHoops lead has grown to 30 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UCwdl6uoeT
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023
Off the bench, Jamiya Neal (16 points, 6-for-7 shooting) scored in the double-digits for the second-straight game. Luther Muhammad put up 12 points as a reserve.
The Sun Devils will face No. 6 seed TCU Friday night at 7 p.m. AZ time in Denver on truTV.
Be the first!
Related News
- ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils routed by Arizona 91-54, to begin final season in Pac-12 Dec 19
- ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils fall to TCU after technical fouls lead to 2nd half implosion Dec 17
- ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils handle Sam Houston 78-61, prepare for San Fransisco Sunday Dec 1
- ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils beat UMass Lowell 71-69 on dying seconds layup from G Frankie Collins Nov 21
- ASU Men’s Basketball: Sun Devils drop season opener, follow with win over Texas Southern Nov 14
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils complete coaching staff Oct 24
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils men’s basketball release full Pac-12 schedule Oct 6
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils’ women’s basketball unveil non-conference schedule Sep 8
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils’ men’s basketball reveal non-conference schedule Sep 8
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils add former NBA scout Greg Lansing to coaching staff Aug 24
- ASU Men’s Basketball: Bobby Hurley on team chemistry, excitement before Ellie Ziegler Foreign Tour Jul 20
- ASU Basketball: Sun Devils welcome Louisville transfer Kamari Lands Jul 11