Describing any contest as a tale of two halves seems like one of the most worn-out sports cliches out there. Nonetheless, in Arizona State’s (13-14, 7-9 Pac-12) 84-82 overtime loss to Washington (15-12, 7-9), it is still an adage that cannot be overstated.
A 21-point halftime lead by the visitors, which increased to 25 points in the second half, was ultimately evaporated by the Sun Devils. Yet, Arizona State missed out on a golden opportunity to win this game in regulation, and dragging it to overtime ultimately doomed them to a second consecutive loss and continuing the soul-searching mode they found their lives earlier this week after a 454-point drubbing to Arizona.
“I’ve never been as conflicted walking into this (postgame press conference) room because I feel like Jekyll and Hyde,” said ASU head coach Bobby Hurley. “There is a side of me that is furious and there is a side of me that has great admiration for what I saw. I’m really torn right now on how to feel.”
A modest 1-0 lead to open the game would serve as ASU’s only lead in regulation, as its porous defense allowed Washington to jump to a 17-7 advantage just seven minutes into the game following an 8-0 run. Baffled by the Huskies’ zone defense, not only did the visitors cruise the rest of the period, but actually ended the half with a resounding 16-0 run, seeing their opponent go scoreless for over five minutes, as they held a commanding 45-24 lead.
Anyone who thought the game’s fate was essentially sealed at that juncture was hardly in the minority. After all, double-digit halftime deficits have proved as of late to be an impossible hurdle for Hurley’s team to overcome. A 49-24 advantage a minute and a half into the second half certainly didn’t enhance the probability of ASU tilting the weight scales in its favor.
Disgusted with the manner in which its starting five began the half down 25 points, Hurley substituted the entire starting five with a second unit that even included his son Bobby Hurley Jr. The dramatic personnel did, however, yield the desired result. Three consecutive three-point baskets by forward Kamari Lands were part of a 16-2 Sun Devil run that cut the deficit to 51-38 with 13:24 left in the game.
“We flipped the switch, and that second unit came in, and they got stops,” Hurley noted. “They noticeably played harder than the group that was in there before. It felt like we were stuck on 24 (points) forever. I’m not sure how long it was, but it was a long time. Once we were able to break through that hurdle, that second group was able to energize everything we did the rest of the way. That’s where the admiration part sets in because we sat down and guarded and defended with effort. We created turnovers and hit big shots.”
A three-pointer by junior Frankie Collins, who led ASU with 21 points and eight rebounds with 7:03 left in the game, was able to cut down the deficit to single digits, 61-54, and the footsteps the Huskies were hearing behind them only grew louder. Another three-pointer by Collins made it a 70-68 affair with 1:28 left. Yet, in the last minute of the game, senior Jose Perez missed two free throws, and Collins missed three shots from the charity stripe, crucial mishaps that prevented his team from coming away victorious in 40 minutes.
What made Thursday night tragically ironic was the fact that following his third steal of the night, a feat that elevated Collins to become the school’s single-season leader in steals with 77, breaking Fat Lever’s 1982 record of 76, Collins proceeded to miss his two free throws awarded, which allowed the game to go into overtime.
“Breaking the record, I mean, it’s a great individual accomplishment, but I want to win,” Collins admitted. “I want to give thanks to everyone who supported me and give thanks to the man above, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m blessed, but at the end of the day, it’s about winning with this game. It’s a team sport. I just wish we could’ve had the win.”
With Collins and junior guard Adam Miller entering the extra period with four fouls each, it seemed impossible that one or both players could be eligible for the last five minutes and help Arizona State with the improbable comeback. With just over a minute into overtime, Colins did foul out, and the task of laboring to victory without their floor general proved to be one that could not be accomplished. With 1:25 left, ASU saw its last lead of the night, 82-80, but was held scoreless the rest of overtime as Washington scored five unanswered points.
Hurley admitted that this was the second straight game where the team suffered a physiological setback, which made getting back on the winning track that much harder.
“I’m gonna get the guys in,” Huley commented, “work on their psyche, their spirits, and ensure that they are not defeated from losing the way we did after battling all the way back and coming up short. So that’s another psychological hurdle to overcome.
“I’m gonna have to read the room, talk to the leaders on the team, watch the negative things tonight that led us to being down 25 points in the second half, and then try and figure how to move on for Saturday.
“We have not been able to get on the same page consistently for the entirety of the season. We’re not talented enough to not be completely together and be ready to play, play with tremendous effort…and those things were missing for 23 minutes. For us to be sitting just one game under .500 if feels like we only won three games this year. That’s how I feel where the season is right now.”
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