With the student section chanting "We're going dancing," the ASU men's basketball team exchanged hugs and high-fives with students before beginning its own celebration in the locker room.
While it won't be official until Sunday, the Sun Devils will be dancing at the Big Dance - the annual NCAA tournament. For such an opportunity, ASU and its fans have seniors Kyle Dodd and Shawn Redhage to thank.
Since being inserted into the starting rotation three games ago, Dodd and Redhage have provided the key pieces in coach Rob Evans' puzzle - complimenting scoring leaders Ike Diogu and Curtis Millage.
"The coaches were just looking for a spark," Dodd said of the lineup change. "It didn't mean anybody was playing bad; they were just looking for a spark."
Dodd and Redhage replaced sophomore Jason Braxton and senior Donnell Knight against California on March 1 and the Sun Devils have won two of the three games since that point. While neither player is as athletically gifted as those they replaced, the duo plays smart and within themselves - something Braxton and Knight have had trouble with this season.
By playing within themselves, Dodd and Redhage provide the Sun Devils with a calming influence on the court. This was never more evident than Saturday's 74-64 victory over Oregon State. When the Dodd/Redhage duo was on the court, ASU outscored the Beavers by 15 points, while OSU held a six-point advantage when one or both players were on the bench.
Numbers don't lie and such a point differential speaks volumes of the impact Dodd and Redhage have.
Saturday's scoring leaders were Diogu (18 points) and Millage (17), but it's the little things that Dodd and Redhage provide that make them so valuable.
Redhage has always been aggressive in looking to score, but this season has looked to shoot the jump shot more than in seasons past, opening up the middle for Diogu to work.
Dodd has the best assist-to-turnover ratio (4.68) in the Pac-10 and dished out a season-high eight assists Saturday, including seven the opening half. He had just two turnovers.
Both Dodd and Redhage play tenacious defense at all times. Dodd hounds opposing point guards for 90 feet and Redhage defends anyone Evans asks him to from UA All-American Luke Walton to OSU's leading scorer Philip Ricci. Saturday, each drew offensive fouls on Beaver players to help the Sun Devils build their lead midway through the second half.
Each player hits key baskets at key moments. The Beavers had gone on an 8-0 run Saturday to cut the Sun Devils' lead to just one point when Dodd emerged from Evans' bench and immediately scored on a driving lay-up with 6:21 to go. ASU never looked back.
Braxton and Knight played a total of 21 minutes against OSU and combined for zero points, zero assists, two rebounds and three turnovers, but Redhage said knows that they'll get their opportunity again.
"Everybody just has to stay focused. The bench is gonna come up big down the stretch," he said.
However, as this team extends its season into the Pac-10 tournament this weekend and then into March Madness, Dodd and Redhage will be the pivotal in determining how many songs the Devils dance to.
Reach the reporter at christopher.gabel@asu.edu.
