Arizona State's Second Half Rally Falls Short Against UCLA

The Sun Devils fell to 9-3 on the season with another competitive loss to a quality team.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Andrija Grbovic (14) beats UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) to a rebound in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (9-3) fell to the UCLA Bruins (8-3) on Wednesday night by a score of 90-77 in Los Angeles in what was the final road game of non-conference play.

This game ended up being the second one in a row that guard Bryce Ford did not participate in, as the junior suffered an undisclosed injury late in the win over Northern Arizona last Tuesday. Anthony "Pig" Johnson once again stood in the starting lineup in his place.

Follow what went down in the Wednesday night battle against a former Pac-12 foe below.

Dec 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona State University Sun Devils guard Moe Odum (5) dribbles down court against Oklahoma University Sooners forward Tae Davis (13) in the second half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

First Half

Arizona State got off to an extremely slow start offensively, as they did not score their first bucket until over three minutes into the game.

The Sun Devils finally reached the 10-point mark at the 8:44 mark of the half after another Diop basket - they started the game 5-19 from the floor and 0-10 from three-point range at that point.

Guard Noah Meeusen hit the first three of the game for the team at the 8:07 mark to cut the deficit to 24-14, before a steal and Moe Odum layup continued a run that cut the lead to eight.

Arizona State continued to be stuck in a back-and-forth effort as far as cutting into the lead came - an Odum and-one at just over the three minute mark. cut the UCLA advantage to eight once again, however a late surge by the Bruins widened the gap to 45-33 going into the half.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) and guard Anthony Johnson and UCLA Bruins guard Jamar Brown (4) and forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) reach for a rebound rebound in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Second Half

The Bruins extended their lead to 16 points early in the half - with Donovan Dent a consistent difference-maker in the offensive successes.

The Sun Devils continued to to fight back in the presence of program legend James Harden, as they narrowed the lead to 61-52 at the under-12 minute timeout.

Johnson began willing Arizona State back in the game, as the UCLA lead shrunk to 65-60 at the 9:39 mark following a three-point play.

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) reaches for a rebound as he is defended by Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA continued to build up double digit leads that the Sun Devils continued to respond too, but time eventually ran short in what was yet another hard-fought loss for Hurley's squad despite becoming even more short-handed due to guard Trevor Best exiting the contest at the end of the first half.

Key Performers

Massamba Diop - 15 PTS, 7 REB, 1 BLK

Moe Odum - 10 PTS, 3 REB, 9 AST

Noah Meeusen - 8 PTS, 2-3 3PTFG

Andrija Grbovic - 13 PTS, 6 REB, 3 STL

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) and Arizona State Sun Devils guard Noah Meeusen (15) battle for a loose ball in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

What's Next

The Sun Devils are set to close out non-conference play on Sunday at home against Oregon State before starting Big 12 play at home against Colorado on January 3.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!