So it's the morning after the Super Bowl, but we'll still take a look back at ASU’s 96-92 loss to Washington Saturday:
The ASU basketball show with Jahii Carson
Yes, it was a losing effort, but redshirt freshman point guard Jahii Carson is special.
He had 32 points, five assists. It looked like one of those games where the Huskies responded every time the Sun Devils trimmed the deficit to single digits.
Then Carson took over. He sparked a 9-0 run down 82-73 with 5:01 left. He scored the first six points during that stretch, including his first career dunk on a breakaway steal. He made two big three-pointers, his only attempts behind the arc, down the stretch to keep ASU within a possession.
He had a chance to tie the game but his last drive was blocked by senior center Aziz N’Diaye. There was contact on the play but it was during the final seconds of the game. It’s hard to expect a ref to call that and allow the game to be decided at the free throw line.
Nevertheless, Carson has been incredible for ASU this season and he continues to get better every game. He’s averaging 23.4 points, 4.6 assists in his last seven games while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor.
Interior play
The Huskies outworked the Sun Devils inside. They out worked the Sun Devils by 16 grabbing 36 compared to the ASU 20. UW also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
That’s inexcusable for ASU to play that way, especially for junior center Jordan Bachynski.
He allowed senior center Aziz N’Diaye to grab a huge offensive rebound late in the game with the game tied. N’Diaye made the put back attempt and got fouled by Bachynski, leading to a three-point play. Bachynski had 10 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes.
While ASU didn’t rebound well, it didn’t protect the paint either.
Sophomore forward Shawn Kemp Jr. looked like the Reign Man the way he played. He scored 18 points, on 9-of-14 shooting, in 24 minutes.
N’Diaye had 16 points and 10 rebounds. The UW forwards grabbed seven of the team’s 14 offensive rebounds and killed ASU in the low block.
Gilling’s career night
Sophomore forward Jonathan Gilling has redefined himself this season, but he can still shoot the basketball.
Gilling had a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Six of his field goals were three-pointers. He’s not as quick to put up an attempt this season. He also has done a good job on the glass and as a facilitator in the last four games.
His efforts on the glass were low due to his shooting night, two rebounds, yet Gilling hit a couple of clutch shots in the last two minutes. His three-pointer with 1:01 left tied the game, but the Sun Devils weren’t able to take the lead from that moment.
Reach the reporter at mtesfats@asu.edu
