March 1, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -
By Matt Storey, ASU Media Relations
The ASU men's basketball team took another step toward realizing its NCAA Tournament hopes with an 80-66 victory over USC Saturday.
The win improves the Sun Devils to 18-10 overall and 8-8 in the Pac-10 with just two weeks remaining until Selection Sunday.
"All we can control is how many games we win," sophomore guard Derek Glasser said. "So, that's what we're here to do. As long as we keep winning, hopefully they can't keep us out."
Freshman guard James Harden led the Sun Devils with 24 points, shooting 7-8 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line, and junior forward Jeff Pendergraph added 21 points and nine rebounds.
"I thought our guys really did a good job making each other better, and once again, a lot of credit has to go to James and Jeff," head coach Herb Sendek said. "I think when those guys play like they did today, then everybody around them benefits.
"Both those guys really stayed within the framework of what we do, and as a consequence, really helped make their teammates better as well."
Harden and Pendergraph were joined in double figures by Glasser, who had 11, and freshman forward Rihards Kuksiks, with 10 points.
The Sun Devils shot 51.3 percent from the field, including 10-16 in the second half, and they went 34-39 from the free throw line as USC committed 29 fouls and had four players foul out in the game.
Freshman guard O.J. Mayo scored 37 points and was 7-10 from 3-point range to lead the Trojans.
"He was incredible," Sendek said of Mayo's performance. "You have to understand, we're emphasizing him, and he's still getting 37. It's not like we were focused on other things."
Still, Mayo was the only Trojan player to score in double figures, as the Sun Devils limited Davon Jefferson, Dwight Lewis and Taj Gibson, who all came in averaging more than 10 points per game, to a combined 13 total points.
ASU jumped out to an 11-4 lead within the first four minutes of the game, but USC answered with a 12-0 run as the Sun Devils went more than eight minutes without scoring.
However, Harden helped get ASU's offense going, scoring nine straight points to help his team tie the game at 25-25 going into the half.
The Sun Devils took over the game in the second half, outscoring USC 33-8 over a nine-minute span to take a 62-40 lead. That included a stretch where ASU scored 11 straight points on free throws, as USC committed 20 fouls in a physical second half.
"You have terrific athletes who are competing really hard," Sendek said. "I thought the officials did a great job of letting guys play but also keeping things in check. That was just a really good college basketball game."
USC closed the gap to nine at 71-62 on Mayo's seventh 3-pointer with 3:04 to play, but the Sun Devils held off the rally to seal a crucial victory as they hope for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"I think it's very important," Pendergraph said of the win. "If you want a chance to go, you've to win as many games as you can. We've got to win as many as we can if we want to have a chance to get voted in."
ASU returns to action Thursday at Oregon at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time.