Arizona State Basketball: 2019-20 season review of the Sun Devils

The Highs

The Territorial Cup Comeback

I think if you ask anybody what the most memorable moment of the ASU season was, they’ll tell you it was Alonzo Verge’s game winning layup against U of A. The Sun Devils fell behind early in the game, getting down by as much as 21 in the first half. A strong push late in the half got them back within striking distance, heading into the half only trailing by 13. They had completely erased the deficit within the first nine minutes if the half before they began going back and forth with the Wildcats for the last 11 minutes of the game.

Finally, it all came down to a last possession for the Sun Devils with them trailing by 1. With about 14 seconds left in the game, Alonzo Verge made his move, got to the basket, and finished a layup to put the Sun Devils up by 1 with 11 seconds left. They got the stop on the other end and avenged the brutal loss they suffered down in Tucson.

Win Over Oregon

The 5 game winning streak Arizona State was on at the time had already put the Sun Devils back on the bubble, but it was their win over Oregon that put them firmly in the NCAA tournament field. That win was the marquee addition to their resume and an all-around impressive performance from the Sun Devils.

ASU never trailed against Oregon and seemed firmly in control of the game at halftime, in spite of the fact that a couple of elbows to Remy Martin’s head temporarily sent him to the locker room in the first half. They overcame that adversity without missing a beat and outplayed the conference’s highest ranked team.

Peyton Pritchard would rally his team with his usual heroics and the Ducks managed to tie the game with just over seven minutes left. However, the Sun Devils finished strong and defended their home court with a 5-point win, putting themselves in position to move into first place in the conference later that week.

Sun Devils Overcome USC

Early in February, the Sun Devils were just starting to build the momentum that saw them climb up the Pac-12 standings and into the NCAA tournament field. However, that momentum was almost halted after just a couple of games when ASU met USC at Desert Financial Arena.

Arizona State fell behind early against the Trojans and went into the half trailing by 8. They were able to come back in the second half, led once again by Martin and Alonzo Verge. Eventually, it would be Martin who would bank in a mid-range jumper that hit every part of the rim on its way down with 16 seconds left to seal a 2-point win.

This was one of the many close games the Sun Devils played this season and one where they came out on the right side.. It gave them another strong win on their resume and helped propel them on their 7 game winning streak.