Senior forward Shaquielle McKissic takes a shot over a Loyola Maymount defender on Thursday, Nov 20, 2014. The Sun Devils won against Loyola Marymount 68–44. (Photo by Sawyer Hardebeck)After struggling offensively to end its last game and to start on Thursday, the ASU basketball team seemed to find a groove in the second half to pull away.
The Sun Devils (3-0) defeated Loyola Marymount 68-44 to end their early-season home stand unbeaten. ASU was led by its bench, which outscored the starters 45-23.
Coach Herb Sendek said he thought his team was outstanding on the defensive end.
"I thought we played an outstanding defensive basketball game," Sendek said. "Over the course of the last two weeks, I would say, our defense has improved dramatically and I thought our guys just did a fabulous job on that end of the floor."
The Lions (1-2) shot just 28.1 percent from the floor and made just one three-pointer in the game. Their leading scorer coming into the game, sophomore guard Evan Payne, scored just nine points, and that is something than Sendek and his team focused on coming in.
"Payne is a terrific guard," Sendek said. "He can play anywhere... He certainly was a big focus for us."
ASU started the game slowly on offense, similarly to how the game ended on Monday, but in the second half, the offense sprung alive, scoring 40 points on the strength of the reserves.
Senior guard Bo Barnes, who finished with 11 points, said that the reason for the shift was improved defense as the game progressed.
Video by Marc Steiner | Sports Reporter
"I think defensively we were really in our gaps and helping each other," Barnes said. "I think definitely the defensive end helped get a spark going."
ASU's leading scorer was sophomore guard Chance Murray, who finished the game with 12 points. Coach Herb Sendek was impressed with his second year guard's play.
"It was Chance's best game at Arizona State," Sendek said. "He was solid with the ball, four assists and one turnover, set his teammates up nicely, played solid defense and, maybe most significantly, for a team that hasn't shot free throws exceptionally well early on, he was eight for ten from the line."
Murray said that he is adjusting well to playing point guard and that he is learning from an unlikely person: freshman Tra Holder.
Junior guard Gerry Blakes drives toward the hoop against a Loyola Marymount defender on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. The Sun Devils won against Loyola Marymount 68–44. (Photo by Sawyer Hardebeck)"(Extended minutes) helped me out a lot because I'm not used to playing the one, so it just gives me confidence in playing it," Murray said. "I look at Tra, I learn from him believe it or not, me being a second year and he's played it his whole life. So it gave me a lot of confidence out there getting more minutes."
Murray said he is getting more acclimated to the position and his teammates are helping him out on the floor.
"I think it went pretty good," Murray said. "My teammates helped me out a lot, Bo hit a lot of shots. Driving to the lane, dumping it down to the big men, they were finishing."
One concern remains for the Sun Devils through the winning: turnovers. ASU turned the ball over 17 times in the game, leading to 14 Lions points. Sendek acknowledged that it has been an issue and that he needs to keep teaching against it.
"The elephant in the room for us is our turnovers," Sendek said. "We're turning the ball over way too much, so that has to continue to be something that we address."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger
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