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ASU men's basketball edges UCSB on Eric Jacobsen's buzzer-beater

The Sun Devils overcame poor shooting to get back in the win column

Arizona State Sun Devils forward Eric Jacobsen, left, takes a shot over UCSB forward Sam Beeler during a game against UC Santa Barbara at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015. The ASU Sun Devils took down the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 70-68.
Arizona State Sun Devils forward Eric Jacobsen, left, takes a shot over UCSB forward Sam Beeler during a game against UC Santa Barbara at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015. The ASU Sun Devils took down the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 70-68.

In the midst of the worst shooting night of its young season, the ASU men's basketball team looked – and played – frustrated, as every possible momentum-turning moment was answered shot-for-shot. 

Then, with a few minutes remaining, they flipped the script that doomed them often losses over the last few years and made a statement of their own. 

The Sun Devils (4-2) stole a win Sunday afternoon in a thrilling fashion, as senior forward Eric Jacobsen put back a layup with one second left to lift ASU over UC Santa Barbara 70-68. ASU was outshot from the field, from behind the three point arc and from the free throw line percentage-wise, but its 23 made free throws and 25 second-chance points made the difference.

In the early going, ASU looked sluggish and sloppy, falling behind 11-3, and went over six minutes into the game without making a field goal. The shooting disparity did not get much better from there, as ASU shot just 28.6 percent in the half and went to the locker room trailing 29-27.

With an increased sense of urgency, ASU shot better to begin the second period, retaking a lead quickly and going back-and-forth with the Gauchos for the next 10 minutes. Jacobsen, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, said it's a testament to the team how well it responded to the adversity.

"It says a lot about our guys, our character to be able to play through stuff like that," Jacobsen said. "They're good teaching points too, because I'm sure we'll have other games that we shoot just as bad. You still have to find a way to win."

Then, the Sun Devils went cold again, missing eight of their nine shots between the 11:49 and 7:08 marks in the second half and trailed by as many as seven points during that stretch.

But ASU's sharpshooters responded quickly, sparking a rally. Junior guard Andre Spight stepped up, hitting two three-point field goals in the final seven minutes, including one with 34 seconds to tie the game up and set up the game-winning basket after the Sun Devils regained possession following a Jacobsen block.

In the ensuing timeout, the call was for a high ball screen, Jacobsen said, but sophomore guard Kodi Justice pulled up for a jumper instead, missing off the backboard. Thankfully for ASU, their senior leader was there to clean up the mess.

"I saw him put up a jumper and was hoping it would come off soft, like it did," Jacobsen said. "I just crashed the offensive board and the ball just kind of bounced into my hands."

Visibly absent from the Sun Devil comeback was sophomore guard Tra Holder, who left the floor with 4:53 remaining and did not see the floor again. Holder finished with just two points and two assists, so that and the matchup played into Hurley's decision.

"You kind of go by feel and the type of offensive game that your players are having," Hurley said. "We went with more guys who are threats shooting the ball against their zone and a little more size at the point guard spot."

After the crushing overtime loss to Marquette, ASU had a sour taste in its mouth, so Hurley hopes after this hard-fought win, his squad can build on what it has done to this point.

"Hopefully this is a momentum booster for our team," Hurley said. "We have a tough stretch ahead of us, so we're just going to move on."


Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.

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