Coach Herb Sendek's Sun Devils fell to Marquette 78-71 on Dec. 16, 2014 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)MILWAUKEE— Heading into tonight's game, the ASU men's basketball team likely didn't want to recall the last time they played at the Bradley Center, falling at the buzzer in an 87-85 heartbreaker at the buzzer at the hands of the Texas Longhorns in March.
After being run out of the gym by the Marquette, The Sun Devils (6-4) will probably hope to have a short memory of Tuesday's 78-71 loss to the Golden Eagles (5-4).
ASU wasted no time getting into the turnover column, even botching its first possession when junior center Eric Jacobsen tapped the opening tip out to freshman point guard Kodi Justice, only to have it swiped away by redshirt freshman Duane Wilson near midcourt. It was a microcosm of a game filled with mistakes.
Ultimately, in a tale of two players who both earned eligibility to make their debuts in tonight's game, it was Marquette sophomore center Luke Fischer who stole the show, bodying up junior center Eric Jacobsen and scoring 19 points, while recording nine rebounds and five blocks.
In his first game since UNLV appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2013, sophomore forward Savon Goodman appeared to struggle shaking off rust, finishing with seven points (all in the second half) in eight minutes, though he was mired with foul trouble (four fouls).
Coach Herb Sendek said postgame that his gameplan revolved around containing graduate guard Matt Carlino, and Wilson.
Carlino was held to nine points, below his average of 13.2 points per game. But ASU didn't account for Wilson's 19 points, one of three Golden Eagles to reach double figures.
Freshman point guard Tra Holder attempts to dribble around a defender. The Sun Devils fell to Marquette 78-71 on Dec. 16, 2014 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)ASU got off to slow start in its half-court offense and was hampered by its sloppy ball-handling, as the Sun Devils committed 16 turnovers, many of which led to fast break points or easy dunks at the other end.
The lazy and inattentive transition defense ASU exhibited didn't aid them much either. While ASU contained Marquette (a poor three-point shooting team) to just one of six from behind the arc, the play of Wilson and a career high 22 points from sophomore guard Jujuan Johnson enabled the Golden Eagles to jump on the Sun Devils early, carrying a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime.
"We didn't finish around the basket, and we had a number of shots blocked," Sendek said. "Obviously, Fischer and Johnson hurt us coming off the bench."
ASU's best offensive player, junior guard Gerry Blakes, broke the 20 point barrier once again, but as a whole, the Sun Devils struggled to get into a rhythm with the ball.
Starting point guard Kodi Justice added 12 points, while senior forward Shaquille McKissic and Jacobsen each had eight.
Video by Stefan Modrich | Assistant Sports Editor
But the turnovers proved to be a problem that not even a semi-balanced box score could fix.
Marquette induced many of ASU's turnovers by doubling Jacobsen in the post and forcing ill-advised passes, recording eight steals with its heightened ball pressure.
"We're disappointed we didn't play better," Sendek said. "We've just got to be tighter with the ball. Marquette did a good job of slapping, reaching, and getting their hands on the ball. When we haven't been able to keep our turnovers down, we've paid dearly for it."
ASU will attempt to rebound against Lehigh when the Sun Devils return to Wells Fargo Arena to face the Mountain Hawks (4-4) on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time.
Reach the outgoing assistant sports editor at smodrich@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @StefanJModrich
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