Sometimes simple wins. With their backs against the wall and the Desert Financial Arena roaring about as loud as it had all season, USC made a simple change: Zone defense.

The length and athleticism of the Trojans slowed an already slow Arizona State offense down, and for a stretch of second-half play, the Sun Devils settled for jump shots. Of course, settling for jump shots was an uphill battle for a Sun Devil squad that entered the night shooting 28.2 percent from beyond the arc. That mark, good for 346th among Division 1 programs, was made worse by Thursday night’s display.

Arizona State went 3 for 21 from 3-point range against USC -- including a putrid 1 of 13 in the second half -- a poor mark that the Trojans took advantage of by throwing the defensive wrench into place in the second half.

“We had plenty of chances when it was 40-32; we could’ve really extended our lead, and we just didn’t handle the zone well,” head coach Bobby Hurley said, “for the two to three minutes there. We just couldn’t hit perimeter shots, and that has kind of been the theme for us this year overall with our offense.”

Those minutes came back to bite the Sun Devils. Possessions spent hoisting shots from well beyond the arc took away from an ASU offense that continued to get consistent offense from junior forward Jalen Graham. The hometown big man continued his offensive evolution with a career-high 19 points and was efficient and effective, operating out of the mid-post for much of the night.

When Graham wasn’t going to work, it was super senior forward Kimani Lawrence who contributed to the scoring tally. Lawrence’s blocked shot early in the second half led to a runout and score that gave the Sun Devils their first lead of the night. After the Sun Devils banged their head against the wall with a three-point attempt after three-point attempt, Lawrence operated well in the middle of the zone.

Looking like the fifth-year Sun Devil that he is, the Rhode Island native was able to score 14 points on 50 percent shooting.

After Arizona State had coughed up its eight-point second-half advantage, USC eventually came to lead 56-53. With 12.5 seconds remaining, Hurley used the Sun Devils final timeout. There, he instructed his players to look for a quick 3. Instead of throwing up the 22nd long distance attempt of the night, sophomore guard DJ Horne drove to the lane and shot a floater.

Horne’s 11th miss in a 1-for-12 night was rebounded by USC guard Drew Peterson and outleted to junior guard Boogie Ellis, who threw down a two-handed breakaway slam that sealed another Arizona State (6-12, 2-7 Pac-12) loss in gut-wrenching fashion.

“We just have to handle the last minute better,” Hurley said.

What has become the best defense of the Bobby Hurley era continues to go to waste. Thursday night, the Sun Devil big men put on a shot-blocking display that impressed Hurley and made interior scoring a near impossible task for the Trojans. The Sun Devil quartet of Graham (2), Lawrence (2), Alonzo Gaffney (3), and Enoch Boakye (3) tallied nine of ASU’s 11 blocks.

“Those guys knew what the challenge was coming in,” said Hurley following a defensive performance in which the Sun Devils held USC to 30 percent shooting. “We had just played Arizona, and it was a similar scenario, and they were up for it in the paint. The guys were really challenging shots.”

A dejected Hurley continued praising the defense, all the while knowing the offensive futility that has so consistently plagued Arizona State this year cost the Sun Devils another win.

“We just have to keep being that way on defense,” Hurley said. “Again, it was there for us to be taken. We did our work on the defensive end; we just didn’t get enough offense when they shifted to zone.”

Graham’s shot blocking added to a night in which the junior forward had 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He did so despite battling a stomach bug that Hurley said coincided with some bad food. Still, the impressive showing was the continuation of the most impressive, longest, and most consistent stretches of play for Graham during his Sun Devil career.

“His footwork was special,” Hurley said. “He looked like the best player on the court to me tonight.” Added Lawrence: “I think he’s just slowing down and taking what the defense gives him. He’s been doing it all summer and just carrying it over to the games now. I’m really happy that he’s playing well.”

Arizona State’s loss continued its descent toward the bottom of the Pac-12 standings, but Lawrence remained optimistic. Impressive defensive performances in back-to-back games against ranked opponents provided the veteran Sun Devil forward with the encouragement necessary to believe in a turn-around.

“It’s a long year, and this isn’t the first game losing like this,” Lawrence explained as the Sun Devils sit in ninth place in the Pac-12 with pending visits from No. 3 UCLA and No. 7 Arizona. “It’s been like this for a minute now. We’ve learned how to deal with it and learned how to look forward to the next game. We’ve got big games coming up.”

As losses like this pile up, Lawrence points to the one chance -- albeit slim -- that ASU can build toward.

“College basketball is a tournament game. There’s still a lot of time left in the season.”