Arizona State’s (8-2) last two victories were by 12 and nine points against Louisiana and Prairie View A&M, respectively, coming into this game. Not that the victories weren’t valuable, but each one raised concern from coach Bobby Hurley postgame based on the team’s performance.

Tonight, the Sun Devils silenced much of that concern with a 79-59 rout of the Georgia Bulldogs (6-3), who tout one of college basketball’s premier players in freshman guard Anthony Edwards.

“We knew we’d have multiple guys on him, we wanted to try and trap him in any ball screens, try and get the ball out of his hands,” Hurley said. “A player of that caliber, as gifted as he is, you have to give him that type of attention and hope that you force other guys to beat you.”

That is exactly what the Sun Devils did, as outside of Edwards they shot 18-for-54 from the field (33 percent), and including Edwards’s 0-for-5 performance from three the Bulldogs shot 2-for-24 (8.3 percent).

“Our energy defensively has been pretty much a constant all year,” Hurley said. “It’s no different tonight, holding a team, I think, was third in the nation in scoring coming into this game to 59 points just says a lot about what we’re doing.”

In the early going, it seemed like Edwards was poised to take over the game for Georgia, scoring eight points in not even the first full five minutes of action. This included a pair of converted “and-one” layups, which made it feel like he’d have the ability to overpower ASU’s rim protectors.

However, Bulldogs head coach Tom Crean subbed him out exactly six minutes into the game, which was 29 seconds after he picked up his first foul. He would come back in with 10:46 remaining in the frame, but he would never get back that scoring touch he flashed in the game’s early minutes.

For the rest of the first, Edwards added four more points to finish the half as the team’s leading scorer with 12 points, but would also commit three turnovers. He then proceeded to only score one more point over the entire rest of the game, corresponding with his team’s horrendous effort from three, which facilitated ASU’s eventual blowout victory.

“I think we’re playing with great energy; we’re contesting everything,” Hurley added. “To have them shoot 2-for-24 from three is really good work for us.”

What was really good for the Sun Devils on the offensive side of the floor were, once again, the performance of their star players; junior point guard Remy Martin and junior forward Romello White.

Martin led the team in scoring for a second straight game after coach Hurley made it very clear he needed to do better after the Louisiana victory one week ago.

“In big games, he generally shows up and performs,” Hurley said. “That’s what he’s done his entire career. He loves the big crowd, the opponent, even the storyline with having a potential No. 1 pick in the building. He takes things personally in terms of wanting to show what he can do.”

Martin scored 23 points on 9-for-22 shooting from the field (3-for-10 from three), made both free throws added three rebounds and led both sides with six assists.

“I always feel like I’m the underdog and I always feel like I have something to prove,” Martin said about playing a game he knew lots of NBA scouts showed up to watch Anthony Edwards. “I think that’s just been just the story of my life, of how I got to where I am right now.

“Ultimately, I’m a point guard, so I think that we’re based off our wins. So I just really wanted to try to get guys involved and get the win at the end of the day, and we did, so short-term memory. We got the win; I’m focused on the next one.”

White was the primary beneficiary of the other guys that Martin got involved, as the big man broke his career-high in rebounds that he set last game (16) by pulling in 17 tonight, while also adding 18 points (7-for-8 field goals, 4-for-9 free throws) for his fourth straight double-double.

White also tallied an assist and a blocked shot.

“Not only is he scoring the ball and getting rebounds, but he’s kicking it out,” Martin commented, “he’s making the right play. Even though the assist is not there, he’s just getting the hockey assist…when you have a teammate like that, man you would go to war with him any time of the day.

“He’s just super-efficient, like every time you give him the ball, it’s like he’s going to make the right play every time, and I just think that’s consistent and he just keeps doing it. ‘Mello’s been working on his jump shot—I know you guys ain’t seen it yet, but in practice he’ll hit a couple. He’s just worked on his overall game, and when you work on your overall game and polish up on a lot of things…he’s just showcasing it, and he’s hungry. We’re all hungry.”

Another noteworthy performance came from junior transfer guard Alonzo Verge Jr, who now has 35 points in the last two games after scoring 15 tonight on 7-for-11 shooting, which includes 1-for-3 from deep. He also added five rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal.

Verge Jr. is someone whom Hurley has spoken highly of since preseason, and earlier this week talked about when, not if, Verge’s breakout performance would come, saying that he hoped it would be soon. It seems that the 6’3’’ guard has not just one, but two breakout showings after this week.

“I think that he’s just finding himself,” Martin said. “His attitude in practice—even when he scored zero points or two points—his attitude in practice has been phenomenal, he’s acting like he scored 20 points. So, when you have teammates like that that kind of overlook those type of things, it’s contagious, and the other guys will do it as well.”

In the final minute of the first half, ASU outscored Georgia 7-2 to extend a three-point advantage to 39-31 going into the locker room. Verge Jr. scored five of those points, first a fast-break layup on a great steal and outlet pass by freshman guard Jaelen House, then hitting his only triple of the game with 32 seconds remaining in the frame.

“Just winning that last (40 or so) seconds was crucial in going to the locker room the right way,” Hurley said, obviously something that carried over since ASU outscored Georgia by 12 in the second half.

Going back to House, he may have been the most silently lethal presence of the night for the Sun Devils, particularly with his defense and passing. The true freshman earned six steals and three assists in only 22 minutes on the floor, his +9 rating proving the value of his presence even if he only scored two points.

“We just felt like we were playing good defense and that was going to happen eventually,” House said of the team extending the lead incrementally as the second half progressed. “We just felt like we were going to bust that lead open.”

Lastly, it is worth noting the performance of junior forward Kimani Lawrence, the fourth and final Sun Devil in double figures tonight. Lawrence scored a season-high 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field—and could’ve had more if it weren’t for his 1-for-5 foul shooting—and added a pair of rebounds plus a steal in 12 minutes on the floor.

“Happy for him,” Hurley commented. “He wants to play better and he’s worked extremely hard and it just hasn’t come together. Happy to see the ball go through the basket some for him and hopefully he can build off that.”

The Sun Devils will return to action Wednesday night when they host the St. Mary’s Gaels at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The game will air on Pac-12 Networks at 7 p.m.