GAME NOTES: The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats renew their in-state rivalry today as they meet in a Pac-10 Conference showdown at the McKale Center.
Arizona State last played on Jan. 12, downing Tulsa 69-59. The win halted a two game skid. The Sun Devils have struggled to a 1-3 mark in Pac-10 play thus far, losing to Oregon State, Stanford, and California. Their only conference win came in 60-55 victory over Oregon on New Year's day.
Arizona has won two consecutive game, having defeated California and Stanford in succession to move to 3-1 in Pac-10 play. The Wildcats will put their 10-0 home mark on the line today against Arizona State. They have won six of their last seven games overall.
Today's game marks the 219th meeting between Arizona State and Arizona. The Wildcats currently hold a 139-79 edge and have won 25 of the last 32 meetings in the series.
The Sun Devils utilized a staunch defensive effort to earn a win over Tulsa. They held Tulsa to just 39 percent shooting on the night, including 19 percent from three-point range. They also allowed just 25 first half points. Offensively, Arizona State was driven by the tandem of Ty Abbott and Carrick Felix, who scored 25 and 21 points, respectively. No other player scored in double figures for the Sun Devils, although they did rack up 17 assists against just seven turnovers. The Arizona State defense has been relatively strong all year, limiting opponents to 62.4 ppg. The Sun Devils' four-guard lineup has hurt them on the interior, where they are outrebounded by 1.9 rpg. The offense though, has been the main concern. The Sun Devils score just 62.2 ppg. Trent Lockett is the team's leader, but he has recently missed time and his void left a mark. Arizona State struggled in the opening weekend of Pac-10 play without their main cog. He ranked 11th in the conference in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) and fifth in field goal percentage (.571) when he went down.
Like Arizona State, Arizona played aggressive defense to earn a 67-57 victory over Stanford in its last contest. The Wildcats allowed only two Stanford players to score in double figures, while holding the Cardinal to just 2-of-12 shooting from three-point range. The Wildcats, in contrast, faired well from deep, hitting 10-of-17 three-point attempts. The Arizona bench proved to be the difference, as it outscored the Stanford bench 29-9. Jamelle Horne led the way for the Arizona reserves, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. In fact, Horne outperformed even the Wildcat starters with his tremendous effort. He shot 6-of-7 from the floor, including a white-hot 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Horne typically averages just 7.8 ppg. Overall, the Wildcats are paced by Derrick Williams, who leads the team in scoring (19.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg), while shooting 65.7 percent from the floor, although he has committed a team-high 40 turnovers. Arizona scores 72.8 ppg, while holding opponents to 65.2 ppg.
The Wildcats can win in a variety of ways and that versatility should give them the edge as they face a hungry Arizona State team today.
GAME NOTES: The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats renew their in-state rivalry today as they meet in a Pac-10 Conference showdown at the McKale Center.
FACTS & STATS: Site: McKale Center (14,545) -- Tucson, Arizona. Television: FSN, CSN-BALT+, BAY. Home Record: Arizona State 5-3, Arizona 10-0. Away Record: Arizona State 2-3, Arizona 3-1. Neutral Record: Arizona State 2-1, Arizona 1-2. Conference Record: Arizona State 1-3, Arizona 3-1. Series Record: Arizona leads, 139-79.
Saturday, January 15th, 2:30 p.m. (et)
Arizona 78, Arizona State 71