The Arizona State Sun Devils' 2017-18 season ended in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday night with a 60-56 loss to Syracuse in a First Four NCAA Tournament game in Dayton, Ohio.
Devils fight but fall to Syracuse.
Our season might be over, but it's only the beginning of something bigger. Thanks, fans, for sharing this amazing journey with us! pic.twitter.com/pYApTHUH6m
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 15, 2018
A 3-pointer by senior guard Kodi Justice put ASU ahead 49-42 with seven minutes to play, but the Orange responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead.
Justice hit another 3-pointer with just over four minutes left to give the Devils the lead, 52-50.
Justice silences the crowd after putting @SunDevilHoops back on top! 🤫#MarchMadness #FirstFour pic.twitter.com/iJoDrzPlFT
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 15, 2018
But Syracuse scored the game's next five points to reclaim a lead that they would not let slip away.
Trailing by three points in the final seconds, senior guard Shannon Evans' 3-point attempt was off the mark, and Syracuse hit one of two free throws with less than a second remaining to seal the victory.
ASU's 56 points were a season low, and the Devils went just 3 of 10 from the free-throw line.
The Devils opened the season a perfect 12-0 that included wins over NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds Kansas and Xavier, and they were the last remaining undefeated team in the country. They were ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, matching their highest-ever ranking. But they went just 8-10 in Pac-12 play and fell to Colorado in the first round of last week's Pac-12 Tournament.
The Devils were granted an NCAA Tournament bid despite their poor finish to the season, advancing to the Big Dance for the first time in four years.
