Devils and Trojans set offensive basketball back decades

If you love a good old fashioned defensive struggle on a basketball court, then Saturday night, you were in heaven.

Marcus Johnson and Mike Gerrity each had 12 points as USC defeated Arizona State 47-37 Saturday night at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. Yes, you read that score right.

Jamelle McMillan and Demetrius Walker were the only two Sun Devils to score in double figures. Arizona State shot an embarrassing 24.4% from the field in the loss, which tied their lowest ever offensive output. The Devils lost 69-37 to Minnesota back in November of 1991. That record was very much in jeopardy as ASU trailed 40-28 with under two minutes to play, but freshmen Walker and Victor Rudd combined for three treys in the last 98 seconds of the game.

And before you go patting USC on the back, let it be pointed out that the Trojans only shot 35% from the field and had their lowest point total of the year. But, it was enough for their 8th straight win as they pushed their record to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in Pac-10 play. The Sun Devils fell to 10-5 and 0-2 in conference.

ASU’s offense was so downright pathetic, I expected Danny Sullivan to check in at point guard for the Sun Devils. Since we’re on football, there were two games on Pac-10 gridirons this past season that were higher scoring than Saturday’s stink fest in L.A.

You want more? The Sun Devils quintet of Derek Glasser, Ty Abbott, Rihards Kuksiks, Rudd and Trent Lockett, who have combined to score an average of 42.5 points per game, shot a woeful 13.3% (4 for 30) from the field and combined for 13 points.

It was the capper of a lost Pac-10 opening weekend for the Devils. UCLA disposed of Arizona State 72-70 on Thursday, and shot 83% from the field in the first half in that win.

The Sun Devils return home to take on Washington on Friday night and Washington State Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.

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