ASU’s RPI probably won’t see a significant jump.
Its win over Washington State won’t be considered a big game for members of the NCAA Tournament committee.
But these are games good teams have to win somehow, someway. And the Sun Devils (17-4, 6-2 Pac-12) escaped with a 63-59 win over the Cougars (11-10, 2-6 Pac-12).
The Sun Devils struggled from the floor all night shooting 32.3 percent. They went 0-of-8 on 3-pointers to start the game and finished 6-of-17. If it weren’t for junior guard Evan Gordon and senior guard Chris Colvin, ASU wouldn’t have been down as little as 28-26 at halftime. Gordon and Colvin scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the first half. The rest of the team shot 4-of-20 from the floor.
Gordon finished with 13 points and Colvin had six points in his first game back from suspension.
The leaders of the team took over the second half. Redshirt freshman point guard Jahii Carson and senior wing Carrick Felix willed their team back from the seesaw affair. Carson scored 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. Felix had 11 points and nine of his 10 rebounds in the second half to give him his eighth double-double of the season.
The Cougars tied the game at 58 with 2:04 left in the game on redshirt sophomore guard Royce Woolridge’s layup. Felix and Carson answered with the biggest moment of the game. Felix stole the ball form senior forward Brock Motum, who collected Felix’s airball, passed it to Carson, who made the layup and got fouled. Carson complete the three-point play to give ASU a 61-58 lead.
With multiple failed attempts by ASU and Washington State to change the score, Carson drove into the lane and scored a layup with 12 seconds left to seal the victory for the Sun Devils.
ASU committed just four turnovers in the game, which is the fewest under coach Herb Sendek.
The Sun Devils are now 17-4 for the first time since the 1980-81 season. They’ll face Washington Saturday in Seattle to finish their Northwest road trip. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on ESPNU and 620 AM.
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
