NCAAB Game Recap - Washington State at Arizona State
Sat Mar 7, 2020 6:30 PM EST

VMI
57
ETSU
70
F
LIU
66
RobM
86
F
Kansas
66
TxTch
62
F
UtSt
59
SDSU
56
F
Maine
50
Vermt
61
F
Denv
69
NDSU
71
F
Murr
75
Belm
76
F
SacHr
72
StFPA
84
F
Woff
77
Furm
68
F
Albany
73
Stony
76
F
IPFW
77
SDSt
74
F
UMassL
75
Hartfo
89
F
GrgWas
51
Dayt
76
F
Chat
78
UNCG
68
F
Pepp
82
StMar
89
F(2OT)
UNH
67
UMBC
73
F
Baylor
64
WVU
76
F
WCU
70
Mercer
56
F
Drake
66
Brad
76
F
USF
72
Pacif
54
F
KY
71
Fla
70
F
Valpa
89
MOSt
82
F
CoCar
63
TexAr
62
F
BC
62
FSU
80
F
JMU
61
Elon
63
F
ArkSt
66
UL
73
F
Seton
60
Crei
77
F
UNCW
55
Drex
66
F
Lou
54
UVA
57
F
UNC
76
Duke
89
F
Stan
67
Oreg
80
F
Vill
70
GTown
69
F
Aub
85
Tenn
63
F
PSU
69
NW
80
F
Wisc
60
Ind
56
F
Marq
86
StJon
88
F
SouthCar
74
Vand
83
F
UTEP
77
Rice
72
F
UGA
64
LSU
94
F
LaSal
78
StJos
77
F
Rut
71
Purd
68
F(OT)
VaTec
56
ND
64
F
GMas
65
Ford
61
F
Colora
72
Utah
74
F(OT)
Bama
50
Mizzu
69
F
UCLA
52
USC
54
F
Marsh
82
UTSA
77
F
OkSt
81
Tex
59
F
IaSt
63
KSU
79
F
Syr
65
Mia-FL
69
F(OT)
NWSt
100
CenAR
85
F
Cal
56
OrSt
74
F
HCU
78
TXAMC
84
F
Ark
69
TAMU
77
F
IdaSt
76
Ida
80
F
Web
69
E WA
78
F
McNee
70
Lamar
66
F
AbCh
71
InWor
68
F(OT)
SHSU
57
SFA
68
F
USM
62
MTSU
65
F(OT)
Okla
78
TCU
76
F
N CO
75
MTSt
61
F
Corn
85
Princ
82
F
Colum
65
Penn
85
F
Gram
70
ASU
58
F
TXSo
75
Alc
90
F
PVAM
80
South
89
F(OT)
WaSt
74
AzSt
83
F
Miss
44
MissSt
69
F
DeP
55
Prov
93
F
UNCC
43
LaTec
66
F
W Ky
91
FIU
85
F
SMU
60
SoFL
61
F
URI
64
UMass
63
F
Yale
69
Harv
83
F
Brown
70
Dart
58
F
SeLA
69
NOrl
79
F
JackSt
54
AlaAM
51
F
ODU
63
UAB
72
F
Temp
63
Cin
64
F
CSBak
61
GrCan
64
F
CBU
76
UTRGV
79
F(OT)
StBon
49
StLou
72
F
MsVl
74
ArkPB
71
F
Butl
72
Xav
71
F
S UT
85
Mont
80
F(OT)
UCDav
61
UCRiv
66
F
CAPoly
67
UCSB
69
F
HI
82
CSNor
86
F
Wash
69
Ariz
63
F
Sac
72
PorSt
76
F
LongB
69
CS-Ful
75
F
UMKC
Seatt
Canc
ChiSt
UtVal
Canc

Mar 7, 2020, 6:30 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Washington State

29

45

74

Arizona State

40

43

83

Arizona State holds off Washington State rally for 83-74 win
Sat Mar 7, 2020 9:51 PM

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) Arizona State's grip on a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament started slipping.

Once up 17, the Sun Devils found themselves in a tight game as shots clanged and balls ended up in Washington State's hands.

By digging down and pulling it out, Arizona State not only earned that coveted bye, it may have locked up a third straight NCAA Tournament bid as well.

Alonzo Verge scored 20 points, Remy Martin added 18 and Arizona State held off Washington State's late rally for an 83-74 victory on Saturday night.

"We kept fighting to the end and weren't going to let each other down" Arizona State senior Rob Edwards said after his final home game.

Needing a win to get the bye, the Sun Devils (20-11, 11-7 Pac-12) overcame a shaky start by playing well at both ends while building a 17-point lead.

Once the Cougars went to a zone late in the second half, Arizona State started missing shots and turning the ball over. The Cougars (15-16, 6-12) took advantage, going on a 17-2 run and tie the game at 65-all.

The Sun Devils answered.

Edwards hit a corner 3, Verge a jumper and Arizona State hit six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds to earn a coveted first-round bye at next week's Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.

The win also likely assures the Sun Devils three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the early 1960s.

"I can't say 100%, but I imagine we are." Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. "We've had a great year, we have a great story, we have one of the most dynamic players in college basketball the rest of the country should get to see - and Remy wants that stage."

Washington State struggled shooting from the perimeter in a loss to Arizona on Thursday and again couldn't find the deep range, shooting 5 of 25 from the 3-point arc. The Cougars also struggled with center Volodymyr Markovetskyy fighting foul trouble all night.

Tony Miller led Washington State with 21 points.

"To be in that game is a credit to our guys staying with it," Cougars coach Kyle Smith said. "They easily could have quit"

Washington State won the teams' first meeting 62-53 in Pullman after forcing 21 turnovers.

The Sun Devils knew they could earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament with a win in the rematch after UCLA and Colorado lost earlier Saturday.

But Arizona State came out tight, clanking shots from all angles. The Sun Devils opened 4 for 15 from the floor and missed their first six from 3-point range to fall into an early eight-point hole.

Arizona State still managed to keep it close and finally found a rhythm at both ends, using a 17-2 run to go up 21-14. The Sun Devils used another late run, after the Cougars rallied, to go up 40-29 at halftime.

Washington State struggled from the perimeter - 4 for 17 from 3 - and with foul trouble in the first half. Markovetskyy was limited to five minutes after picking up three first-half fouls and Noah Williams picked up his fourth foul on a late technical.

"It killed us - no other way to say it," Smith said.

The Cougars managed to trim Arizona State's lead to five early in the second half, but Markovetskyy picked up his fourth foul and headed back to the bench. The Sun Devils began stretching the lead back out, but Washington State rallied with its run to tie the game with 3 1/2 minutes left.

The Cougars were still within three with a minute left, but Arizona State outscored them 8-2 over the final 55 seconds.

"We always find a way to make it interesting," Verge said.

BIG PICTURE

Washington State made a late push to make a game of it, but heads into the Pac-12 tournament with six losses in seven games.

Arizona State was sharp early, sloppy during Washington State's big run, but is now in position to make the NCAA Tournament three straight years for the first time since 1960-64.

ELLERBY'S STRUGGLES

CJ Ellerby is Washington State's leading scorer this season at 18.4 points per game.

The sophomore had a tough trip to the desert, shooting a combined 6 for 33 overall and 1 for 14 from 3-point range. He had six points on 2-of-19 shooting and missed all 10 of his 3-point attempts against Arizona State.

"He's fine. Shots just aren't falling," Smith said. "He's made a lot of big shots for us, made some good shots against these guys. I felt good about him."

UP NEXT

Washington State opens the Pac-12 tournament Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Arizona State has a first-round bye and in the conference tournament.

--

More AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Washington State PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
T. Miller 21 0 0 8 0 0
I. Bonton 17 0 5 4 2 0
Arizona State PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
A. Verge 20 0 1 7 2 0
R. Martin 18 0 6 1 1 0

Team Comparison

WaSt AzSt
Points For 74 83
Field Goals 26/71-37% 28/69-41%
Three Pointers 5/25-20% 7/29-24%
Free Throws 17/21-81% 20/25-80%
Offensive Rebounds 18 14
Defensive Rebounds 32 30
Rebounds 57 53
Blocks 6 5
Steals 8 13
Turnovers 20 16
Personal Fouls 22 21
Technical Fouls 1 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Series Tied 1-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Wed Jan 29 AzSt 65 @ WaSt 67 R. White 15 C. Elleby 27
Sat Mar 7 WaSt 74 @ AzSt 83 T. Miller 21 A. Verge 20

Game Information

Stadium: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Arizona
Attendance: 8,829
Game Time: