Can Arizona State Sun Devils Bounce Back at Pauley Pavilion After Galen Center Setback?
The Arizona State Sun Devils faced a challenging encounter against the USC Trojans, culminating in a 63-81 defeat. The Sun Devils entered the game unranked, while the Trojans held the 10th spot. Despite a valiant effort, the Sun Devils' record now reflects another notch in their loss column.
The game commenced with the Trojans establishing an early lead, outscoring the Sun Devils by 13 points in the first quarter. The home team's momentum continued throughout each quarter with consistent scoring: 22, 16, 21 and again capping off with 22 points in the final period. Conversely, Arizona State struggled to find their rhythm early on but improved as time progressed; they scored incrementally more each quarter: starting from nine points and concluding with eighteen.
Arizona State's performance was marked by determination and several notable statistics. They achieved an impressive free throw percentage of eighty-eight percent by converting fourteen out of sixteen attempts from the line. Their efforts inside were also commendable as they accumulated thirty points in paint and secured eleven second-chance points.
Despite these efforts, turnovers proved costly for Arizona State; they gave up thirteen turnovers which translated into eight points for USC. Moreover, their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at a modest 1.56 compared to USC's superior ratio of 2.5.
On defense, Arizona State managed only one steal throughout the game and failed to block any shots against USC who dominated this aspect with six blocks contributing to their victory margin.
USC capitalized on fast breaks scoring thirteen fast break points while limiting Arizona State to just two such instances of quick offense conversion. The Trojans also excelled under pressure securing twenty second-chance points which underscored their dominance on offensive rebounds where they grabbed nineteen compared to just six by Arizona State.
The home team showcased balanced teamwork as evidenced by twenty assists leading to efficient ball movement that resulted in forty-six percent field goal shooting accuracy including four three-pointers made from eighteen attempts despite a lower three-point shooting percentage than that of ASU who shot forty-two percent from beyond arc making five threes out twelve attempts.