Sun Devils back on track with 68-57 home win over Oregon State
And just like that, all is forgiven in Tempe. Maybe not all, but Bobby Hurley and Arizona State (16-7, 7-5 Pac-12) did their best to win back the Sun Devil faithful with a 68-57 victory over Oregon State (9-14, 3-9) to snap their 4-game losing streak.
Like their previous meeting with the Beavers, Wayne Tinkle’s group did not make it easy on the Sun Devils. A back-and-forth battle ensued for 30 some-odd minutes before the Sun Devil defense stepped up the pressure down the stretch to finish off Oregon State at home and secure the regular season sweep over the Beavers.
“I thought we took a step in the right direction today,” coach Bobby Hurley said postgame. “Really excited about how we defended, especially in the second half.”
The Sun Devil’s defensive effort in the second half was reminiscent not of the team that had lost four straight games but of the won that won 15 of their first 18. After Oregon State made late shot-clock buckets to fuel them to a 35-31 halftime lead, the morale and fight of the team were unaffected even with all that’s gone wrong in the last two weeks.
“I liked overall where we stood,” Hurley said. “No one was really in panic mode.”
Once again, Devan and Desmond Cambridge were vital to keeping the Sun Devils in the game in the second half. While Devan was a performer for all 40 minutes, at the end of the front 20, Desmond Cambridge had not made a field goal on just two attempts, a very uncharacteristic start. Desmond, though was keenly focused on how the team could find a way to a much-needed win.
“It doesn’t matter who makes the shots, it doesn’t matter who takes the shots, we just want good shots,” Desmond Cambridge said. “We know what we’re capable of. Making the right decision and the right pass, as long as we’re all on the same page, that’s all that matters.”
And in the second half, it was Cambridge who would get the clean looks the team needed. After a returning DJ Horne again had a rough night shooting, Desmond picked up the slack to put up 16 points in the second half alone. Both Desmond and Devan Cambridge led the way offensively in the second half, with the two combining for 24 of the team’s 37 points in a new way. The scoring output of Devan Cambridge was especially a sight for sore eyes, as the team now moves to an 11-0 record when he eclipses double-digits in points.
Even with Devan’s play, ASU went into the half with a meager 42 percent shooting mark and an even worse 27 percent clip from deep. In response, Hurley sought to get his players cleaner looks and drew up plays for players to be fouled and go to the free-throw line. Despite shooting 69.5 percent from the line collectively this season, the Cambridge brothers specifically stepped up to sink 9-of-12, with Frankie Collins adding two more throughout the half.
“Getting to the free throw line is huge,” Hurley said.
In total, the Sun Devils would convert below their season average from the line but take more attempts than they are used to, with 26. The 17 they made turned out to be the difference on offense. Defensively, Devan Cambridge led the way once more.
“Devan was a live wire tonight,” Hurley said. “He was communicating well on defense. He brought the appropriate leadership to the team and experience. With us struggling a bit and going through a tough time, great to see him play that way.”
“I try to connect with everybody,” Devan Cambridge said. “Getting on somebody, being a leader, that’s what we needed. I’ve been a part of winning programs, and I just try to have my voice in there.”
While it was just another night at the office for Devan Cambridge, Alonzo Gaffney came in and played very productive minutes on both ends of the floor but particularly in the center role on defense, one he hasn’t seen much this season.
“It made sense from a matchup standpoint to go in that direction, and this was the best Alonzo Gaffney has looked in weeks,” Hurley said of the senior. “He has a renewed energy about him. A lot of what he brought won’t show up in the box score. The way he played defense, especially in the second half, was really good.”
The team overall was lockdown on that end of the floor, holding Oregon state to just 22 second-half points, which allowed the team to overcome its demoralizing losing streak.
“Unless you played at our level and experienced what it feels like to go through a tough stretch and lose a few games, no matter what you say or do in practice, there is inherently a loss of confidence,” Hurley said. “Tonight was a reintroduction to winning and knowing how to win and close an opponent out.”
Close the Beavers out they did. For a team that’s had its struggles in letting teams hang around late, the Sun Devils slammed the door on Oregon State down the stretch with lockdown defense and timely shot-making. As the wood became too rough for the Beaver’s teeth with them not scoring from the floor in the final four-and-a-half minutes, Sparky grabbed his pitchfork and chopped down the whole tree with a clutch three by Desmond Cambridge to push the lead to seven with three to play before a Frankie Collins and-one lay-in all but sealed it with a minute on the clock.
The win snapped a season-long four-game losing streak and reinvigorated a team that desperately needed a kick. With their third straight weekend of having to turn around 48 hours later, this time for a tough matchup with Oregon, Bobby Hurley hopes the momentum has returned to his side.
“I’m hoping there’s going to be a carryover effect now that we can all breathe,” Hurley said. “You lose four in a row, and you feel like, are we ever gonna win a game again? Happy for the guys that they could get this out of their system.”
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