Shooting, Not Size, Leads Way For Randy Bennett and Arizona State in Win vs. Mountain West Favorite New Mexico

When you're hot, you're hot. And when you're not, you're not.

This was evident in a back-and-forth game of runs in Albuquerque, with Arizona State and New Mexico both catching fire at different points of their exhibition contest.

In the end, ASU was able to pull out the victory, 91-86. Here's the tale of the tape after a eventful afternoon in The Pit.

Ball Don't Lie

Entering the contest, ASU's glaring size advantage looked to be the ticket to success on their trip to New Mexico.

It ended up being anything but.

ASU rode the lightning of hot three-point run, including hitting 43.5% of their shots from behind the arc in the second half.

"We just play offensively. We're going to play the guys we think can score, (they) take most of our shots, and that's the way it should be," ASU head basketball coach Randy Bennett said postgame.

Former Saint Mary's Gaels Paulius Murauskas and Dillan Shaw both hit over five threes, including seven from Murauskas.

On the flip side, the long ball ended up being a death note for the Lobos. A stunning 18.2% from three in the first half ended up spoiling UNM's chances, despite going 50% from deep in the second.

ASU's hot run from three helped them get out to a 23-point lead in the early second half, on top of piecing together a 16-0 run in the first frame.

UNM's run helped them get back into the fight, sending a scare to ASU with 17 unanswered late in the second half.

Main Players Stepped Up

Speaking of Murauskas and Shaw, the two captains combined for 53 of ASU's 91 points.

The Sun Devil leaders did more than just launch the rock from deep: Murauskas ended just a rebound shy of a double-double, getting to the line several times and shooting 8-for-8 from the stripe.

Shaw helped calm down the Devils following the late Lobo surge, ending with seven rebounds of his own.

"You have to figure out ways how to score. New Mexico, they gives a lot of threes up..." Murauskas said. "They did a really good job in the post....Their weaknesses, they give a lot of threes ups, so I needed to figure out how I can score, and today, it was this way."

For UNM, their main option was absent for most of the contest. Mountain West all-conference guard Jake Hall. Hall started the game 0-6 from three and 1-10 overall. He would pick it up in the second and lead the UNM comeback, finishing with 19 points.

Size Advantage?

"I don't think the size helped us,"

Bennett was blunt about how his front court performed in Albuquerque.

With C Ben Defty getting the start, the ASU centers (Defty, Filip Malesevic and Nate Garcia) combined for six points and five rebounds in over a combined 30 minutes of action.

"We got outplayed at the five, so I don't think the size helped us, and it needs to help us, or we need to go a different route." Bennett said.

ASU, a team that prides itself on rebounding, lost the boards battle 36-35 to the Lobos, being a main area of concern for the regular season opener.

"We were minus one on the boards, and we want to be a real good rebounding team..." Murauskas said. "We need to do a better job there."

Devil Details:

ASU F Paulius Murauskas: 31 PTs, 7-10 3PT, 9 REBs, +2

ASU F Dillan Shaw: 22 PTs, 5-13 3PT, 7 REBs, +5

ASU G Joel Foxwell: 14 PTs, 1-9 3PT, 7 ASTs, +8

ASU G/F Emmanuel Innocenti: 13 PTs, 2-6 3PT, 6 REBs, 4 ASTs, +4 (Guarded Jake Hall as main matchup)

Biggest ASU Lead: 23 (2ND, 9:05)

Time With Lead: 27:42 (UNM: 9:52)

Just One Lead Change in Entire Game

First ASU Win In The Pit Since 1991-1992

First Ever Preseason Meeting Between ASU/UNM

ASU will now prepare for their Nov. 2 opener vs. East Tennessee State.

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