If Saturday’s men’s basketball game between ASU and Texas Tech was indicative of the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl between the two teams in any way, the Sun Devils should have the edge on the gridiron.
On the hardwood, ASU senior guard Jermaine Marshall drilled seven 3-pointers and scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half as the Sun Devils (10-2) topped Texas Tech 76-62 to stay perfect at home.
It wasn’t a stellar scoring performance for Jahii Carson, but the redshirt sophomore guard had a double-double with 13 assists to go along with his 16 points. Carson also pulled down seven rebounds.
Despite committing four fouls, ASU senior center Jordan Bachynski endured through foul trouble in the second half as he finished with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and seven blocks.
The game started out on a seesaw battle for most of the first half. For the first 16 minutes of the half, both teams struggled to shoot as the largest lead by either team in that period was five points. The Sun Devils failed to find a rhythm on offense as the Red Raiders controlled the paint and the glass while Bachynski’s foul woes throughout the half kept him limited.
But with 3:25 left in the game, the Sun Devils got hot. After hitting just one free throw, ASU junior forward Jonathan Gilling hit a 3-pointer followed by a Carson layup and senior forward Shaquielle McKissic’s and-one layup. Marshall hit a jumper to cap an 11-0 run as the Sun Devils went into halftime with a 34-25 advantage.
ASU never looked back from there as it held its ground for much of the second half behind Marshall’s hot hand.
The game featured two teams of virtually opposite playing styles. The Sun Devils shot 10-for-19 from the 3-point line while the Red Raiders were only 1-of-13 from the perimeter. Texas Tech owned the boards, though, as it outrebounded the Sun Devils 45-32. The Red Raiders also had 40 points in the paint compared to ASU’s 22.
Texas Tech’s big men had their way inside. Junior forward Jordan Tolbert had 25 points and 14 rebounds while senior forward Dejan Kravic had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
ASU faces UC Irvine on Dec. 28 as the Sun Devils close out their non-conference schedule. Bachynski will be matched up against Anteaters freshman center Mamadou Ndiaye, who stands 7-foot-6.
Additional note:
ASU junior transfer forward Brandan Kearney checked in with 10:22 left in the first half to make his season debut. Kearney couldn’t play this season until his first semester grades were posted due to NCAA regulations after transferring from Michigan State. The only stats he recorded were a turnover and a foul in four minutes of play.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
