Dec 29, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Chad Prewitt scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Arizona State used its best defensive effort of the season to beat Canisius 77-54 Friday night.
The win put the Sun Devils (6-4) into Saturday night's championship game of the ASU azcentral.com Hoops Classic against Northwestern (8-2), which beat Louisiana-Lafayette 52-51 in the other first-round game.
Arizona State ran off 10 straight points to take a 33-21 lead with 4:57 in the first half and led 41-28 at intermission.
After scoring the first eight points of the second half, the Sun Devils held the Golden Griffins (1-6) to a basket and four free throws in the first 10 minutes.
Canisius missed 11 of its first 12 field goal attempts of the half and until Toby Foster made a 3-pointer, trailed 60-34.
The Griffins never got closer than 19, missing 22 of 26 shots in the second half as they lost their sixth straight game.
Tommy Smith added 12 for Arizona State.
Canisius was led by Hodari Mallory's 13 points.