Arizona St defeats Santa Clara 79-82

Arizona St Edges Santa Clara in Thrilling Comeback Victory

In a non-conference matchup at the Lee's Family Forum, Arizona State University men's basketball team erased a 17-point halftime deficit to defeat Santa Clara University 82-79 on Sunday evening.

The home crowd had been silenced by Santa Clara's strong start, as Christian Hammond scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. The Broncos' offense was clicking, with Elijah Mahi adding 17 points and seven rebounds, while Jake Ensminger contributed five assists to lead the team in scoring.

However, Arizona St refused to back down. Led by Anthony Johnson's 15 points, including one three-pointer, the Sun Devils stormed back in the second half, outscoring Santa Clara 44-24. The turning point came when Maurice Odum pulled off a spectacular fast break dunk, putting his team up by seven with just over two minutes remaining.

Arizona St's Mor Massamba Diop was dominant on both ends of the floor, grabbing nine rebounds and contributing 15 points to the comeback effort. Meanwhile, Maurice Odum chipped in with seven assists and four steals, helping Arizona State secure a hard-fought three-point victory.

The advanced statistics painted a picture of a closely contested game. Santa Clara shot an eFG% of 50.8%, while Arizona St edged out their opponent with a 64.2% mark from the field. The Broncos' defense struggled to contain Odum, who torched them for 12 points on just one visit to the free throw line.

Despite falling short in the end, Santa Clara's performance showcased their ability to compete against top-tier opponents. For Arizona St, this win marks a significant milestone in the non-conference schedule and sets the stage for a strong stretch of games ahead.

Ultimately, it was Arizona St's resilience and determination that made all the difference in Sunday's thrilling matchup.