News

Actions

3 big takeaways from UA's 94-82 win over ASU

Posted
and last updated

Rarely in the Arizona State-Arizona basketball rivalry do both fan bases leave a game satisfied.

But after the Wildcats' 94-82 win over the Sun Devils in Tempe on Sunday, that may very well be the case.

The thousands of UA fans in attendance left Wells Fargo Arena satisfied after their Wildcats got their first win in enemy territory since the 2012-13 season.

But ASU fans got a glimpse of what these talented, gritty Sun Devils may become under the guidance of first-year coach Bobby Hurley.

Here are three big takeaways from the Wildcats' win.

1. Hurley seals deal with late ejection

Most ASU fans loved the back-to-back technical fouls Hurley picked up late in the game after a couple questionable calls went against his Devils.

Here's the thing: ASU still had an outside chance to win when Hurley got teed up. The additional free throws awarded to the Wildcats helped them put away the Devils in the final minutes. 

You have to love Hurley's fire, and there's no doubt he has the program headed in the right direction -- but the first-year coach picked one heck of a time to get tossed.

2. Gabe York helps Cats seal deal

The Wildcats aren't a strong 3-point shooting team, but their one star from beyond the arc, guard Gabe York, lit up the Sun Devils in the second half.

The senior went 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and hit some crucial triples in the second half to help Arizona build a double-digit lead. For the game, UA went 7 of 12 from 3-point range, while ASU went just 8 of 25 from long distance after opening the game 4 for 7.

3. Wildcats win rebounding battle

Both teams are strong on the boards, but the Wildcats are a little bit better. That stat played out as one might expect Sunday, as UA out-rebounded ASU 37-30 on the glass. Senior Ryan Anderson had a game-high 10 rebounds and returning center Kaleb Tarczewski chipped in five boards off the bench.

ASU battled on the boards, which helped it trim a 16-point UA lead to six in the final minutes. But the Wildcats were just a bit too big for the Sun Devils on Sunday.