ASU cannot overcome offensive struggles in home loss versus Cal
Arizona State men’s basketball rarely struggles to score, but a lackluster offensive performance headlined a 68-43 loss to Cal at Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday night.
The Sun Devils never found their rhythm as they shot 25.4 percent from the floor and made just 3 of 25 3-pointers, leading to the lowest-scoring game since head coach Bobby Hurley took over last year and the fewest points in a home game since 2011.
“We had shots, we missed them,” said ASU guard Kodi Justice. “We had drop-offs, we missed them. We missed free throws. Our performance was embarrassing.”
ASU kept it close in the first half, but a lengthy scoring drought proved fatal.
After forward Obinna Oleka made two free throws to tie the game at 17 apiece with 6:27 left in the first half, ASU went scoreless for over eight minutes, which stretched into the second half. Oleka finally hit another free throw over two minutes into the second half, but Cal’s (18-6, 9-3) 15-0 run over that span buried the Sun Devils.
ASU’s 17 first-half points were its fewest in a half since scoring 21 against Purdue at Madison Square Garden. And for added contextual purposes, the Sun Devils have scored 50 points in eight halves this season.
The Sun Devils ended the first half 2-for-15 from the floor and faced an 11-point deficit, but hope remained as Cal committed 11 turnovers and scored just 28 points of its own.
The offense may have been an issue, but Hurley said his team played solid defensively in the first half.
“We had a hard time moving over (the number 17),” Hurley said. “Everything matters. Free throws that are missed and the missed shots. It could’ve been a lot closer going into the half.”
Just two ASU players ended in double figures as Oleka had a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds, and junior guard Shannon Evans II added 10 points.
Cal played zone defense all game, a big switch from when it played man-to-man the first time the two teams met back in early January.
“I think they’re length and their size and the zone right out of the gate bothered us on offense,” Hurley said. “We were just dribbling around a little bit and not moving the ball well enough, not getting into gaps and finding the open teammate.
It was just kind of dribble, dribble, dribble, try and go, and just miss. It just came down to that fairly regularly tonight.”
Once again, ASU’s shot selection seemed to be questionable. However, the Sun Devils have shown the ability to overcome that when their guards get hot.
Senior guard Torian Graham entered the night second in Pac-12 scoring at 18.5 points per game and Tra Holder third at 17.8, but both were cold all night. Graham scored two points on 1-for-14 shooting and 0 for 9 from 3-point range and Holder had just eight points.
“Some tough shots we make, that’s who we are,” Justice said. “Some people will take tough shots and it looks tough, but that’s just the style of game we play. But I felt like we got pretty good shots.”
The Golden Bears utilized their size, athleticism, and length, outrebounding ASU by 19 boards and scoring 14 more points in the paint.
Cal guard Grant Mullins scored 18 points on 6-for-9 from behind the arc, sinking his first five attempts. Additionally, 6-foot-11 forward and NBA Draft prospect Ivan Rabb tallied a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Justice, who made ASU’s only 3-pointers, said the team’s body language was off all night.
“I just felt like some guys weren’t 100 percent ready,” he said.
ASU next hosts Stanford on Saturday at 6 p.m. as it looks for a home split this weekend.
