Turnover is only as significant as the following points, or lack thereof, that follow. Arizona State’s (15-6, 6-4 Pac-12) 69-66 overtime loss to Washington (13-9, 5-6) on Thursday night encapsulates a larger theme that has plagued the Sun Devils all season. year: the Sun Devil’s attack cannot catch up with the tenacity of its defense.
The defense, which forced 12 turnovers in the first half, set up Desmond Cambridge Jr. (26 points, a career high) and the Sun Devils well from the first tip, catapulting ASU to a 12-0 lead . Washington didn’t score for the first five minutes of the game.
The Huskies would finish the half on a 32-8 streak, taking a 32-20 halftime lead.
Washington smothered Warren Washington in the paint, as ASU’s first big man scored just 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting. DJ Horne totaled 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting. ASU, as team, shot just 30.7% from the field.
Washington was in charge for most of the second half and was looking to lock this one down when the Huskies made one of the biggest blunders this year in Pac-12 play. Trailing by three with six seconds left in the game, Austin Nunez received the ball high from the sidelines. He took three dribbles into the far corner, and as he got up for the potentially tying shot, Nunez was fouled on the wrist by Keion Brooks Jr. Three successful free throws would send the game into overtime.
Nunez, the freshman, nailed all three.
Washington would go on to win 69-66 in overtime. What was the difference? The Huskies hit a three-point shot on an offensive rebound in overtime. ASU had 0 second chance points. The Sun Devils finished losing their third straight game.
ASU will play a rematch against Washington State on Saturday night at Pullman at 6:00 p.m. MST.
