The No. 14 ASU men’s basketball team (16-4, 5-3 Pac-10) is looking for an answer.

After living in the top five nationally when it comes to team field-goal percentage rankings since January, the Sun Devils have fallen flat the past two contests.

Thursday, they suffered a 65-55 home loss to Washington State (12-8, 4-4) after shooting just 27.6 percent in the second half.

“I’m not really sure what’s going on, to be honest,” ASU sophomore guard Jamelle McMillan said. “A lot of us [have] got to stop thinking about it and let it go.”

ASU has shot a combined 35-of-107 (32.7 percent) in its last two contests and has been abysmal from behind the arc.

Sophomore guard Rihards Kuksiks has been in the most notable funk, as he has made just three of his last 20 attempts from 3-point range.

ASU coach Herb Sendek offered up a simple antidote to ASU’s shooting woes.

“We have to make shots,” he said. “It’s probably no more complicated than that right now.”

On the other end of the spectrum, the kid named Klay had no such problems.

Klay Thompson, son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson, looked smooth using his elevation and clean stroke.

Coming into Thursday’s contest, his career-high was 19 points.

He left Tempe with a new high of 28, including eight 3-pointers.

“Thompson was sensational, despite our efforts to know where he was,” Sendek said. “Every time he broke free, he seemed to make us pay dearly.”

The game started in expected fashion, as the two teams combined for 23 points in the first 10 minutes. Neither team led by more than eight points in a first half, which ended in a 30-27 ASU lead.

After the break, Thompson promptly tied the game at 30 with a 3-pointer, but Kuksiks answered with a three of his own.

Then the Sun Devils, spurred by six straight points by sophomore guard James Harden, took a 39-32 lead at the 15:46 minute mark.

That’s when Thompson really went to work.

He nailed three consecutive trifectas to make him a perfect 7-of-7 from the 3-point range, and gave WSU a 41-39 advantage.

“[I knew he was good] but not that good,” said McMillan, who had played against Thompson during high-school basketball camps. “He’s definitely improved the past couple years. I’d say [he’s one of the best shooters in the conference].”

A Pendergraph free throw and a corner

3-pointer from junior guard Derek Glasser gave ASU its final lead at 43-41 with 10:31 left in the game.

Seven minutes later, WSU senior point guard Taylor Rochestie delivered the fatal blow. With the shot clock winding down to its final seconds, Rochestie spotted up from the right wing and swished it through to give the Cougars a 54-49 lead.

ASU was forced to foul the rest of the game but couldn’t close the gap.

While Rochestie and Thompson ruled the perimeter, WSU senior center Aron Baynes killed ASU with his hook shot in the paint all night.

Baynes finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Harden scored 26 points to lead ASU, but was the only Sun Devil to score double-digit points.

Reach the reporter at alex.espinoza@asu.edu.