Senior Shaquielle McKissic shoots a three-pointer to tie the game against Oregon at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe on Jan. 30, 2015. ASU lost 68-67 in overtime. (Emily Johnson/ The State Press)In the final game of the first half of the conference season, the ASU men's basketball team wanted to end the stretch on a high note. Despite the extraordinary effort of a star player, the team came up just short.
The Sun Devils (11-11, 3-6 Pac-12) fell to Oregon 68-67 in overtime at Wells Fargo Arena Friday to wrap up a stretch of four games in eight days. Senior forward Shaquielle McKissic led all scorers with 24 points in the loss.
The Ducks (15-7, 5-4 Pac-12) kept ASU at arm's length for most of the first half in leading by as many as 10 points, but the Sun Devils were able to put together a mini-run to make it a five-point game at the half.
ASU opened the second half on a very strong note, featuring three three-pointers from McKissic.
Going on the run that McKissic went on in the second half is impressive enough, but he said postgame that he was playing while dealing with an illness that struck this morning.
"I told coach at halftime that my stomach was turning and that I thought I was going to throw up the whole second half," McKissic said. "He asked me if I could go and I told him yeah and that's just kind of the feeling. Every time we score or every time I feel like something was about to come up. I mean that's neither here nor there."
ASU controlled most of the second half and the crowd was loud supporting them, but the Sun Devils trailed late and were in need of a big moment. McKissic provided it as he sank a huge three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Oregon scored six of its eight points on free throws and the Sun Devils found themselves in a similarly precarious situation with time ticking away.
This time, however, the Ducks matched the challenge and forced senior guard Bo Barnes to shoot a long three that was missed to seal the game for the visitors.
ASU has now lost six games by five or fewer points and all of them have been related to the same thing, according to coach Herb Sendek.
"Free throw shooting," Sendek said. "It's really simple. I mean we're seven of 15 from the line, the front end of one-and ones not included... Gotta make free throws in a close game to win."
Oregon missed just two free throws in the game and made 12 of 13 when shooting at the vaunted Curtain of Distraction. Sender said it was hard to win when their opponents are making their free throws and ASU isn't.
"We foul (senior guard Joe) Young, it's automatic," Sendek said. "It's two points. They're 12 of 14, we're seven for 17. Even if we make three or four of those. That's no different from any other of these close games that we're talking about."
ASU closes out the first half of conference play at 3-6.
"We've gotten better, we've lost some tough games, record-wise, obviously, we'd rather be in a better spot than we are," Sendek said. "But you are what you are."
Despite the struggles at times, McKissic is hopeful about what is to come for this team.
"We're not going anywhere," McKissic said. "I'm still 100 percent confident in this team and returning to the tournament."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger.
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