Jan. 9, 2008
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Post Game Notes - Arizona at Arizona State (January 9, 2008 Wells Fargo Arena)
Arizona State's 64-59 victory over Arizona improved the Sun Devils to 13-2 overall and 3-0 in Pac-10 play for just the third time in its 30 years of Pac-10 play and the first time since 1987-88. ASU opened the 1987-88 conference slate with a 4-0 record and also went 6-0 to start the 1979-80 season.
Arizona State's victory raised its current winning streak to nine in a row for the first time since a nine-game streak from Nov. 27-Dec. 29, 2004, and for just the second time in the past 26 seasons (1981-82 to present). The win also snapped a streak of 12 losses in a row to rival Arizona, dating back to an 88-72 defeat of the Wildcats during the 2001-02 season in Tempe.
The Sun Devils are 2-0 in overtime games this season (also won 87-84 over LSU at Maui Invitational). ASU is now 4-1 all-time in overtime games against Arizona. The last time the two teams played extra sessions was a 103-98 Sun Devil victory in Tucson on March 11, 1995. The Sun Devils are 47-31 all-time in overtime and 23-11 in home overtime games.
The five-point margin of victory marked the third time the Sun Devils have been in a game decided by five-points or less this year with Arizona State winning all three (87-84 OT vs. LSU in Maui; 66-62 vs. Montana State at home) and equaling its win total of one year ago in similar situations. Last year, the Sun Devils played in 14 games decided by five points or less.
After starting 6-19 last year, ASU is 15-5 in its past 20 games and its current 13-2 record is tied for the best mark through 15 games in the 27 seasons (ASU was 13-2 in 2004-05 as well).
ASU is 11-0 at home after going 7-11 (.389) last year at Ned Wulk Court.
ASU is shooting .758 from the FT line. Five of the top six players in minutes per game are shooting better than 80 percent. In his 10 seasons at NC State, Coach Sendek's teams led the ACC four times in FT% (including three straight, 2002-04). In 2004 NC State led the nation and set the ACC record by shooting .799.
ASU has reached the 70-point mark eight times this year after reaching it just three times last year.
In 45 games under Herb Sendek, ASU is giving up just 60.1 points per game.
In Herb Sendek's 45-game ASU career, freshmen have made 50 percent of the starts (110 out of a possible 225 starts).
Junior Jeff Pendergraph is shooting .670 from the field and .821 from the free throw line on the year. In his past five games he is averaging 19.4 points and 8.4 boards. He is 31-of-39 (.695) from the field in the past five games and has made 31-of-35 (.886) free throws in the past four games.
Freshman James Harden, who is the Pac-10's youngest player (born Aug. 26, 1989) leads the team in scoring (18.2 ppg.), steals (27) and minutes per game (31.9) and is shooting .549 from the field (89-of-162) and .788 from the free throw line (78-of-99). With 26 points scored in the win over Arizona, Harden already has eight 20-point games, the second-most by a freshman in ASU history (Ike Diogu had 12 in 2002-03), and the most by a Pac-10 freshman this year.
Derek Glasser has made 27-of-33 (.818) free throws this year and is 62-of-79 (.801) in his 44-game career.
Ty Abbott hit on 2-of-4 shooting from behind the arc to raise his freshman season total to 36, tying him for eighth on the all-time ASU rookie list with teammate Jerren Shipp (2006-07).