Fans streamed out of Desert Financial Arena early as No. 5 Houston dominated ASU men's basketball 80-65. From start to finish, the Sun Devils were never in the game as the more fundamentally sound Cougars managed the clock and the contest.
Houston came into the Tuesday matchup allowing the fewest points in the nation at just 57.6 and boasting the top defensive efficiency in the country. Their connectivity on that end of the floor was apparent from the first minute. The Cougars aggressively doubled ASU's ball handlers on the perimeter before executing their rotations to near-perfection.
"They just connected; they know where their guys are going to be," senior point guard Alston Mason said. "They've all got good chemistry, so they all feed off each other. They just get a lot of rebounds, it's hard to beat a team that dominates the glass like they do."
ASU did not lead for a single second, and Houston's ability to control possessions played a huge role in that. Houston senior guards L.J. Cryer and Mylik Wilson both had 10 points in the first half. The Sun Devils' usually sound defense conceded open shot after open shot; Houston shot over 50% from the field and 40% from distance while attempting 16 free throws in the first 20 minutes.
Cryer and Houston junior guard Milos Uzan had a combined 11 assists throughout the game while turning the ball over just twice, consistently penetrating into the teeth of the Sun Devils defense and creating open looks at the rim or in the corner. Whenever the Sun Devils hit a shot, it felt like the Cougars immediately had an answer.
Against a team as complete as Houston, even small mistakes can be detrimental. ASU ended up with decent shooting splits from the field at just over 43% and long-range at just over 36%, but took 10 fewer shots compared to Houston.
"We only got 44 shots in the game," head coach Bobby Hurley said. "That's the sneaky good thing about them (Houston) is how they manage the game and have quality possessions at both ends. They really just put a stranglehold on you if they get a lead."
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While the giveaway battle was mostly even, Houston cashed in more often with 20 points off turnovers. The Cougars also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points, partly due to freshman forward Jayden Quaintance's lack of playing time.
Quaintance returned from an ankle injury sustained against Oklahoma State but only received 13 minutes of playing time. Hurley decided to shut him down in the second half because he said Quaintance didn't have "the same explosiveness that (he) would normally see."
Mason was the lone bright spot for the Maroon and Gold with an ultra-efficient 26 points. The senior shot 89% from the field and hit four threes, including numerous deep bombs in the final few minutes of regulation.
"Sometimes it's very simple," Hurley said. "They outplayed us. They were better than us tonight, and there was not a lot that we could do in this game tonight to have a legitimate chance of beating this team."
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Braccio and Katrina Michalak.
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Pratham is a sophomore studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his fourth semester with The State Press.
