Relentless Pressure Leads MBB Past USC

TEMPE – Sun Devil Men's Basketball (11-7, 5-2 Pac-12) was able to pull away from USC (8-11, 2-6 Pac-12) in the second half, securing a 82-67 victory at Desert Financial Arena.

The Sun Devils overcame an early eight point deficit to control a majority of the game, putting together several impressive runs. ASU was able to extend the lead to as much as 20 points in the second half, with the pressure defense proving to be too much for the Trojans to handle. ASU outscored USC 43-36 in the first and 39-31 in the second to complete a 82-67 win.
 
Four Sun Devils reached double-figures with Jose Perez scoring 20 points while shooting 50% (8-of-16) from the field. Frankie Collins also had 17 on the night, but it was his six steals that made the biggest difference. Jamiya Neal finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Bryant Selebangue's energy was essential, as he contributed a season-high 13 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, the most by a Sun Devil since Jeff Pendergraph had nine vs. Washington on Jan. 31, 2009.

Alonzo Gaffney added 11 points, highlighted by a pair of crucial threes down the stretch.

Desert Financial Arena provided a fantastic atmosphere with a season-high 13,746 in attendance. It was also the second-largest student crowd in program history, with 4,325 students showing up and having an impact. ASU has won 11 of their last 14 home games and moves to 8-1 on the season at Desert Financial Arena.
 
TOP SUN DEVIL STUDENT CROWDS

• 5,213 vs. UCLA (Jan. 19, 2023)
• 4,325 vs. USC (Today)
• 3,949 vs. Arizona (Feb. 7, 2022)
• 3,391 vs. Oregon (Jan. 11, 2018)
• 3,313 vs. Arizona (Jan. 31, 2019)

KEY MOMENTS:

• Frankie Collins had all of his six steals in the first half. This marks his third game of the season with six or more steals.
• Collins has a total of 56 steals on the season, which ranks third highest in D1 NCAA basketball.
• The Sun Devils forced 15 turnovers by the end of the first half, making them one of two Power 5 schools to do so this season.
• Bryant Selebangue had nine offensive rebounds, marking his career high. Adding on his 4 defensive rebounds, he totaled up 13 rebounds. Selebangue is the first to reach 13 total rebounds since Warren Washington who had 14 rebounds last season.
• The Sun Devils set a season high forcing 22 turnovers. They average 14.1 forced turnovers per game this season.

 
NOTABLES:

• The USC Trojans started off shooting 14-21 (66.6%) from the field which was then followed by a 13-37 (35.1%) shooting performance. They finished shooting 27-58 (46.6%) from the field
• The Sun Devils forced a season-high 22 turnovers on the day, eclipsing the previous high against UMass Lowell earlier this season.
  • USC's 15 first half turnovers were the most in a half by a power conference basketball team this season.
  • The Sun Devils last recorded 22 forced turnovers against Washington last season.
  • Five different Sun Devils had one steal apiece, and they were able to convert those turnovers to 24 points.
• Arizona State has now won 11 of their last 14 home games.
• Bryant Selebangue's 13 rebounds were the most by a Sun Devil since Warren Washington had 14 at Texas Southern on Nov. 22, 2022

 
FIRST HALF:
Jose Perez knocks down a three to give ASU their first points of the game against USC. Frankie Collins finds Jamiya Neal in transition to tie it up 8-8 after USC went on an 8-3 run. A contested three made by Jamiya Neal gives the Sun Devils their first lead 11-10 with 15:13 remaining in the first half.  
 
With USC going on a 6-0 run coming out of the first media timeout, Jamiya Neal was able to finish at the rim trailing 16-13. Frankie Collins' third steal of the game led to a fierce two-handed dunk to give ASU a 17-16 lead with 11:21 remaining. 
 
After another 9-2 run by the Trojans, Jose Perez was able to knock down both free throws at the line to cut the Trojans' lead to 25-21. With 6:22 remaining in the half, the Sun Devils trail 31-23 heading into the media timeout.
 
Adam Miller and Bryant Selebangue's contribution of three free throws cut the deficit down to 31-26. Frankie Collins' fourth steal of the game gives him the third most steals in D1 NCAA basketball this season, with an impressive 54 steals total. Bryant Selebangue's contested putback at the rim ties the game 31-31 with 3:54 remaining. 
 
With Selebangue knocking down both free throws, he gives the Sun Devils a 33-31 lead, their first lead since the 15:13 mark. The Sun Devils capitalized each time on three back-to-back steals, giving them a 43-36 lead at half.
 
SECOND HALF:
Frankie Collins opens up the second half with eight points, giving the Sun Devils a 51-40 lead with 16:40 remaining. Alonzo Gaffney drained a contested corner three, extending the lead to 54-44. The Trojans were able to get to the rim on back-to-back possessions, cutting the Sun Devils lead to five. The Sun Devils hold on to a 56-51 lead with 11:44 left in regulation going into a media timeout.
 
Jose Perez' patient drive to the basket led to an and-1 layup and bumped the lead to 59-53. Again, Perez takes charge while driving into the paint to finish a contested layup, giving the Sun Devils a 67-60 lead with 7:46 remaining in regulation. 
 
Jamiya Neal scoops the ball away and finishes at the rim while being contested, adding on to the Sun Devils' 71-60 lead with 6:19 remaining. Adam Miller finds Frankie Collins in transition after a steal to complete a contested layup. ASU increases the lead to 77-62 with 3:27 remaining heading into the media timeout. 
 
Frankie Collins finds a wide open Alonzo Gaffney at the top of the ark with a flashy behind-the-head pass to extend the lead to 79-62. The Sun Devils finish out strong with an impressive 82-67 win over the Trojans. 

UP NEXT:
Sun Devil Men's Basketball will travel to Eugene, Oregon to face the No. 1 Pac-12 team, Oregon. They will play January 25 at 7:00 p.m. MST. Coverage can be seen on Pac-12 network 
 
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Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley:
Opening Statement: 
"A little bit better spirits than the last time you guys saw me. Just want to give a shoutout to our crowd, our students. It was the second-highest student attendance in school history, outside of our game last year versus UCLA here. So, just really excited to have our players have the opportunity to play in that environment. And certainly the crowd helps so much when we were trying to really impose our will defensively and take advantage of our speed and our ability to defend full-court. That was really the difference of the game, our ability to create pressure and turnovers and have them just be under pressure and uncomfortable most of the game, and we were successful in that area."
 
On whether this win is a testament to how well the team can bounce back from a tough loss: 
"I was very concerned about this game because USC has dealt with a lot of adversity this year and hats off to their coaching staff for their ability to get their guys to play. They played a winning game in Colorado two games ago. They were up 13 at half. It was a one-possession game with four minutes left. And then they stayed in the game in Arizona, which is not easy to do in that environment with the team that Arizona has. And they've lost very key players and they're still very competitive. So, I thought it'd be tough because I was wondering about how fragile we could be with our psyche after a loss like that and what it does - the frustration, feeling devastated, feeling your confidence shaken and all those things that happen when you lose in that way. I'm happy we had an extra day. Usually we're in the Thursday/Saturday routine. I think having the extra day in between certainly helped us just pick up the pieces after a hard loss on Wednesday night."
 
On Bryant Salabangue being an X-factor late in the first half: 
"He was terrific. This game meant a lot to us and I think we circled the wagons with a tough loss Wednesday and he kind of symbolized how the guys approached the game. He was relentless just going after the ball. If he missed the shot, he was the first guy to be there to get it again until he completed the play. I've never really looked at a stat sheet, I think in all my years of doing this, and seen a guy have nine offensive rebounds at halftime and even Frankie's (Collins) six steals at halftime. They were just like things that are very reflective of effort. And Bryant (Salabongue) isn't the tallest player. USC had a couple of bigs that were longer, taller, more athletic, and Bryant really wanted the ball. Just went after it really hard.."
 
On what Frankie Collins is bringing in every statistical category and from a leadership perspective: 
"He's playing at an elite all-conference level. In terms of production of guys I've had in the past like Trey Holder and Remy Martin, he is right in the mix, the impact he has. They're different types of players, but in terms of having an impact on winning. His defense, the steals, the pass he threw to (Alonzo) Gaffney. As the all-time assists leader, that was one that I was like 'whoa, that was a tremendous pass.' His dunk in the first half looked like Derrick Rose out there. So he's really stepped it up to another level and has complete control of his game out there, too. He's really just running our team and making winning plays out there."
 
Arizona State Forward Jose Perez
On how it felt to hear the fans chanting his name at the end of the game: 
"It's fun. You hear "Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose…" That gets you going, it turns you on, turns you to another level, more energy." 
 
On his mindset offensively: 
"If it's a one-on-one matchup and people are trying to get the ball out of my hand, find the open guy. And if it's one-on-one, I don't think there's anybody in the country that can stay one-on-one."

Arizona State Guard Jamiya Neal
On how fun it is to get into a transition break:
"We don't really want to run half-court offense if we don't have to. So we rather get out and show our athleticism, show our talent, show our skills. So, defense is offense for us. That's what we preach. There's no better way to score than getting out in transition, getting steals, getting stops and getting out quick."
 
On how they did a better job of letting the game come to them: 
"Just letting the game come to us. I think we just took what USC was giving us. They were sloppy with the ball. They don't really have a lot of ball-handling unfortunately, because of injuries and that type of stuff. So, we have to use that to our advantage."

FINAL NOTES...
--The win was ASU's first vs. USC in Tempe since 2020 and snapped a seven-game conference losing steak to the Trojans. ASU did beat USC in the quarterfinal of of 2023 Pac-12 Tournament
--ASU is 5-2 in Pac-12 for the second straight season, its first time having five or more wins through seven Pac-12 games in consecutive seasons since 1979-80 and 1980-81
--The 15-point win was ASU's largest in a conference game since it beat Oregon by 17 on Jan. 12, 2023.
--The 22 forced turnovers were the most in a game since it forced 22 at Washington on Jan. 26, 2023
--Arizona State forced 15 first-half turnovers, the most by any power conference team in a half this season
-rankie Collins is the only Sun Devil since at least 1996-97 with six steals in multiple conference games in his career

JOSE PEREZ 20-POINT SUN DEVIL GAMES
26 vs. Utah (Jan. 6, 2024)
24 vs. Sam Houston (Nov. 29, 2023)
20 vs. USC (Jan. 20, 2024)
20 vs. SMU (Dec. 6, 2023)
20 vs. UMass Lowell (Nov. 16, 2023)