Arizona State dominates Nevada to reach NCAA tournament first-round

Emily Horos, Arizona Republic
·5 min read
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Arizona State eclipsed its previous season-high point total on Wednesday with its 98-73 victory over Nevada.

The Sun Devils shot 65% from the floor for a higher percentage than any game they played in the last decade.

ASU used a stifling defense in the first half to build a 53-26 lead. The ASU defense forced 11 turnovers, blocked four shots and finished with five steals.

D.J. Horne led ASU with 20 points. Jamiya Neal added 16 points, while Devan Cambridge finished with 15.

The Sun Devils and Wolf Pack both shot 52.4% from 3-point range.

The Sun Devils will face TCU in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Denver.

Up next:Arizona State vs. TCU basketball picks, predictions, odds: Who wins March Madness game?

Sun Devils keeping the lead

What was once a 30-point lead has been reduced to 20, but the Sun Devils remain in control.

According to ESPN's Gamecast, ASU has a 99.5% chance of winning the game, which still has 10:27 remaining on the clock.

Looking toward the stretch, fouls could be an issue for both teams. Nevada's Kenan Blackshear has four personal fouls, while Tre Colman has three. For ASU, Frankie Collins has four, D.J. Horne has three and four other players have two apiece.

ASU 53, Nevada 53 (10:27 second half)

ASU leads at the half

Arizona State scored a season-high 53 points in the first half as it dominated Nevada for a 53-26 lead in an NCAA First Four game Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

The Sun Devils have shared the effort. The team has 13 assists and four different players have scored at least nine points through the first 20 minutes.

ASU is out-shooting Nevada 67.7% to 33.3% The Sun Devils are hitting 57.1% from 3. ASU also had four blocks and two steals.

The 53 points are the most that Arizona State has scored in a half since putting up 54 vs. Arkansas in 1991.

Arizona State 53, Nevada 26 (halftime)

ASU doubles point total of Nevada

ASU used a 22-2 run to build a 51-22 lead over Nevada with 2 minutes to play in the first half.

Five different Sun Devils had hit from 3-point range. D.J. Horne is 3-for-3, while Devan Cambridge is 2-for-2. Desmond Cambridge is 1-for-4, while Jamiya Neal and Alonzo Gaffney hit the only 3-point shots they took.

Horne leads ASU with 11 points, while Neal has 10. Their total of 21 is nearly equal to that of the Wolf Pack.

The Sun Devils had not scored 51 points in any half this season.

Arizona State 51, Nevada 22 (2:06 first half)

ASU defense collecting complements

The broadcasters for Arizona State and Nevada's First Four game have plenty to say about the Sun Devil defense — and so far it has all been good.

ASU players on defense have been compared to trees with arms like branches covering up the paint.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack players drew a comparison to airplanes with their wings down when defending the Sun Devils.

The ASU defense has produced seven turnovers that produced nine points and pulled in 10 rebounds.

Arizona State 41, Nevada 22 (5:58 first half)

Long range successes

Nevada is getting the job done from 3-point range.

The Wolf Pack has made five shots from beyond the arc, which accounts for all of their points.

Nevada is 5-for-7 on 3-point attempts and has attempted just one other shot from the court.

Meanwhile, ASU is 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. For the game, ASU is shooting 73.3% from the floor (11-for-15).

Arizona State 25, Nevada 15 (11:23 first half)

Sun Devils start strong

After surrendering the first three points, the Arizona State Sun Devils went on a 13-3 run to prompt the first timeout of the game.

The run was fueled by D.J. Horne and Desmond Cambridge, who combined for nine points and less than 4 minutes.

Arizona State 13, Nevada 3 (16:38 first half)

Pre-game reading

Nevada vs. Arizona State picks:Who wins NCAA Tournament First Four game?

Nevada vs. Arizona State odds: NCAA Tournament game point spread, moneyline, over/under

Inside:Arizona State standouts Desmond Cambridge, Warren Washington face familiar foe in Nevada

NCAA Tournament First Four results

  • Pittsburgh 60, Mississippi State 59

  • Texas A&M-CC 75, SE Missouri State 71

  • Fairleigh Dickinson 84, Texas Southern 61

March Madness game-by-game picks

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State basketball beats Nevada to advance out of First Four