Sun Devils Upset No. 3 UCLA In Triple Overtime
It's a game that will be talked about for years to come.
Arizona State, despite all its struggles and hurdles, took down No. 3 UCLA 87-84 in triple overtime. No, not one word of that is a typo.
The Sun Devils actually did it. It took every made free throw, rebound grabbed and shot made, but the team emerged with a massive Pac-12 win. They defeated a Bruins team that sat atop the conference and has championship aspirations.
In the end, none of that matters to head coach Bobby Hurley and Co.
With the victory, the team snapped a four-game-losing streak to improve to 7-13 (3-7 Pac-12). It also claimed its biggest win at Desert Financial Arena in years.
First-Half Recap
Starters:
G DJ Horne
G Jay Heath
F Jalen Graham
F Kimani Lawrence
F Alonzo Gaffney
Hurley opted for the same starting five he played in Thursday night's 58-53 loss to No. 19 USC. Graham again drew the start as he went off for a career-high 19 points against the Trojans.
It was an energized start to say the least for Arizona State. Feeding off the vibrant crowd energy, Alonzo Gaffney broke the game open with a monster dunk. He tacked on a 3-point shot to start the contest with a quick five points.
However, UCLA also started strong with five made baskets on five assists and entered the first media timeout leading 10-7.
Marreon Jackson joined in the fun with two made shots from deep, but his hot shooting didn't spark the rest of the team as the Sun Devils were collectively shooting 3-for-8 from beyond the arc. That kept the team in a 17-15 hole midway through the first half.
The hole would grow for ASU as UCLA found its rhythm from deep. The Bruins led 25-19 after back-to-back 3-point shots. Jaime Jaquez Jr. nailed the second, bringing his point total to a game-high 11. His efficient 4-for-6 shooting was the offensive catalyst UCLA needed.
Responding for the Sun Devils was Jackson. The guard sparked a 7-0 run with a steal-and-score, followed by a made three. That brought ASU even at 28-28 with just over three minutes left in the first half.
The Sun Devils closed the half with only two more made baskets, although they both came at opportune times. DJ Horne put ASU ahead 31-30 with a 3-point shot, then Jay Heath did the same to put the team up 34-32.
That score held as ASU stopped UCLA's final possession of the half. Leading the way for the Sun Devils was Jackson with 11 points on a 4-for-7 shooting clip. Heath was up to seven points after his timely made 3-pointer.
Second-Half Recap
The halftime break proved to not only sustain the Sun Devils' fire, but poured more fuel in the tank. ASU went on a 8-0 run to start the half, capped off by an impressive 3-point shot from Horne.
And even when UCLA put a stop to the run, the Sun Devils responded with yet another shot from deep. This time that was courtesy of Gaffney, who was up to 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. ASU built an 11-point lead with just under 16 minutes left at 45-34.
The Bruins wouldn't go down without a fight. Johnny Juzang willed his team back into striking distance with five quick points. That cut the margin to 47-42, before Jackson tacked on another layup for ASU. With just over 11 minutes remaining, the Sun Devils led the Bruins 49-42.
And just like in the first half, defense would hold firm on both sides. Neither found much success over a three-minute span as ASU maintained a 52-45 lead with over seven minutes left.
The Sun Devils went up 56-52 after a spectacular offensive board and made layup from Kimani Lawrence. He would air-ball the following free throw, giving the Bruins just the chance they needed. UCLA went on a 6-0 run to take back the lead at 58-56 with 2:41 remaining.
But unlike previous games this season, Arizona State did not waver at the free-throw line. Graham and Jackson each delivered a pair of free throws to keep the game even with 32.1 seconds left. And that's where the scoring ended.
The teams traded missed shots in the closing seconds, but the buzzer sounded with the teams locked at 62. Overtime would decide this contest.
Overtime Recap
The heroics followed into overtime as ASU and UCLA traded shots back and forth. The Bruins jumped on top 70-69 after a Jaquez three-point play, then Jackson tied the game after splitting a pair of free throws.
UCLA came up short on what looked to be its final possession. That gave ASU a chance, although Jackson settle on a deep three that didn't fall. That allowed UCLA one more chance, though it threw away the in-bound pass and ASU would follow with another missed shot.
That pushed the game into a second overtime with the teams tied at 70. The extra period was again a back-and-forth affair. Each team had scored only four points each as the game was tied at 74 with a little over a minute left. Again the Bruins would get their chance to go ahead, but Jaquez came up short.
An off-balance shot from Lawrence sent the game to yet another overtime period.
Horne kicked off triple overtime with a statement 3-point shot. From that point on, it was the Graham show as he accounted for an assist and two made shots during a crucial run for ASU. That pushed the Sun Devils advantage to 84-78 with just under two minutes left.
That lead, with the help of a pair of made free throws from Lawrence, delivered Arizona State its biggest win of the season.
As the buzzer sounded, ASU was met with a storming of the court as the team took down No. 3 UCLA 87-84 in triple overtime.
Stat Leaders
Points: Jackson (24)
Assists: Graham (6)
Rebounds: Graham (10)
What's Next
ASU has a quick turnaround at home as the team welcomes No. 7 Arizona to Desert Financial Arena on Monday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. Arizona time on Fox Sports 1.