MBB | Top-5 Moments: Facing Arizona State in Phoenix (#2)
4/13/2020 11:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SMCGaels.com is counting down the top-5 moments from the Saint Mary's 2019-20 men's basketball season. Be sure to check back every Monday to read the latest installment of the series. Top-5 Moments is presented by University Credit Union, a proud sponsor of Gael Athletics.
MORAGA, Calif. — Just like last week, No. 2 in the top-5 moments countdown brings us back to a non-conference matchup against a Power-5 school. On Dec. 18, Saint Mary's traveled down south to face off with Arizona State in Phoenix.
The Gaels and Sun Devils played a quasi-neutral court game at Talking Stick Resort Arena, although it was just 10 miles from ASU's campus. For Saint Mary's, it was their second trip to the arena in as many weeks as they faced off with No. 19 Dayton on the same hardwood just 10 days prior.
Despite being a long way from Moraga, the Gaels had plenty of support in attendance as well as several local connections. Tommy Kuhse (Mesa) and Elijah Thomas (Peoria) both grew up just minutes away from Phoenix while head coach Randy Bennett and assistant coach Mickey McConnell also call Mesa their hometown.
Arizona State came into the contest with an 8-2 record compared to the Gaels' 10-2. Earlier in the season, ASU posted wins over St. John's, Georgia, and at San Francisco while only losing to quality opponents in Colorado and No. 7 Virginia. Guard Remy Martin led the team in scoring at the time and was averaging over 20 points per game at the time.
For the first five minutes of the first half, the score remained close with Saint Mary's holding only a slight lead. But the Gaels then kicked into a higher gear and never looked back.
Jordan Ford took control of the game from the get-go. The senior scored 19 of the Gaels' first 21 points, including a 12-0 run by himself that stretched SMC's lead to 21-7. Dan Fotu, Tanner Krebs, and Malik Fitts then started getting in on the fun and soon the team found themselves up 29-7.
"Ford came out absolutely on fire," said Bennett postgame. "He hit some tough shots and got us separation early. I think the fact that he hit some tough ones early took some pressure off us and allowed us to play more freely."
Despite being up by more than 20, Saint Mary's didn't let off the gas and continued to pull further and further ahead of the dumbstruck Sun Devils. Kyle Bowen put the final touches on a magnificent first half as he layed in a buzzer-beater to send the Gaels into the locker room up 51-19.
The opening half had a myriad of jaw-dropping stats. Ford scored 22 points, three more than the entire ASU lineup, and was 8-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Saint Mary's made nine of their 14 treys, good for 64 percent, and shot 63 percent overall in the period. They dished out twice as many assists (eight) as turnovers. Defensively, the Gaels held the Sun Devils to shoot 22 percent, 1-for-13 from three, and allowed only three free throws in the half.
Martin played over 17 minutes in the opening half and was held scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting.
For as good as the Gaels were to begin the game, they were nearly just as good in the final 20 minutes. The team made 57 percent of their shot attempts in the second half and 58 percent of their 3-pointers. The final buzzer couldn't come soon enough for ASU and when all was said and done, Saint Mary's walked off the court with a 96-56 win.
"When I'm playing well and aggressive, I think the other guys follow," said Ford after the win. "That's what we saw tonight, everyone was really confident."
The senior led the team with 34 points and made seven of his 11 three's in only 29 minutes. Fitts added 20 points and eight rebounds while Kuhse dished out eight assists in front of his family and friends. A total of 12 Gaels saw the court in the blowout including Thomas who splashed a three and Kristers Zoriks who played 12 minutes and had two dimes. Only three Sun Devils scored in the entire contest.
"We didn't see it coming like this but our guys were really geared up and ready to play," Bennett said. "We came out ready to execute what we were trying to do defensively."
While Saint Mary's has several 50+ point wins in program history, including a 51-point win over Div. II Sonoma State earlier in the season, there may not be as one as impressive when considering the win margin and caliber of opponent. ASU would go on to have a 20-11 season, finish tied for third in the Pac-12 standings, and were 54th in NET. ESPN's Joe Lunardi had the Sun Devils projected as a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament before it's cancelation.
#GaelsRise — Join the Season Ticket Waitlist today to be part of the Gaels 2020-21 season by clicking HERE. Current season ticket holders can renew their seats HERE and logging in at the top of the page. Email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu with questions.
MORAGA, Calif. — Just like last week, No. 2 in the top-5 moments countdown brings us back to a non-conference matchup against a Power-5 school. On Dec. 18, Saint Mary's traveled down south to face off with Arizona State in Phoenix.
The Gaels and Sun Devils played a quasi-neutral court game at Talking Stick Resort Arena, although it was just 10 miles from ASU's campus. For Saint Mary's, it was their second trip to the arena in as many weeks as they faced off with No. 19 Dayton on the same hardwood just 10 days prior.
Despite being a long way from Moraga, the Gaels had plenty of support in attendance as well as several local connections. Tommy Kuhse (Mesa) and Elijah Thomas (Peoria) both grew up just minutes away from Phoenix while head coach Randy Bennett and assistant coach Mickey McConnell also call Mesa their hometown.
Arizona State came into the contest with an 8-2 record compared to the Gaels' 10-2. Earlier in the season, ASU posted wins over St. John's, Georgia, and at San Francisco while only losing to quality opponents in Colorado and No. 7 Virginia. Guard Remy Martin led the team in scoring at the time and was averaging over 20 points per game at the time.
For the first five minutes of the first half, the score remained close with Saint Mary's holding only a slight lead. But the Gaels then kicked into a higher gear and never looked back.
Jordan Ford took control of the game from the get-go. The senior scored 19 of the Gaels' first 21 points, including a 12-0 run by himself that stretched SMC's lead to 21-7. Dan Fotu, Tanner Krebs, and Malik Fitts then started getting in on the fun and soon the team found themselves up 29-7.
"Ford came out absolutely on fire," said Bennett postgame. "He hit some tough shots and got us separation early. I think the fact that he hit some tough ones early took some pressure off us and allowed us to play more freely."
Despite being up by more than 20, Saint Mary's didn't let off the gas and continued to pull further and further ahead of the dumbstruck Sun Devils. Kyle Bowen put the final touches on a magnificent first half as he layed in a buzzer-beater to send the Gaels into the locker room up 51-19.
The opening half had a myriad of jaw-dropping stats. Ford scored 22 points, three more than the entire ASU lineup, and was 8-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Saint Mary's made nine of their 14 treys, good for 64 percent, and shot 63 percent overall in the period. They dished out twice as many assists (eight) as turnovers. Defensively, the Gaels held the Sun Devils to shoot 22 percent, 1-for-13 from three, and allowed only three free throws in the half.
Martin played over 17 minutes in the opening half and was held scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting.
For as good as the Gaels were to begin the game, they were nearly just as good in the final 20 minutes. The team made 57 percent of their shot attempts in the second half and 58 percent of their 3-pointers. The final buzzer couldn't come soon enough for ASU and when all was said and done, Saint Mary's walked off the court with a 96-56 win.
"When I'm playing well and aggressive, I think the other guys follow," said Ford after the win. "That's what we saw tonight, everyone was really confident."
The senior led the team with 34 points and made seven of his 11 three's in only 29 minutes. Fitts added 20 points and eight rebounds while Kuhse dished out eight assists in front of his family and friends. A total of 12 Gaels saw the court in the blowout including Thomas who splashed a three and Kristers Zoriks who played 12 minutes and had two dimes. Only three Sun Devils scored in the entire contest.
"We didn't see it coming like this but our guys were really geared up and ready to play," Bennett said. "We came out ready to execute what we were trying to do defensively."
While Saint Mary's has several 50+ point wins in program history, including a 51-point win over Div. II Sonoma State earlier in the season, there may not be as one as impressive when considering the win margin and caliber of opponent. ASU would go on to have a 20-11 season, finish tied for third in the Pac-12 standings, and were 54th in NET. ESPN's Joe Lunardi had the Sun Devils projected as a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament before it's cancelation.
#GaelsRise — Join the Season Ticket Waitlist today to be part of the Gaels 2020-21 season by clicking HERE. Current season ticket holders can renew their seats HERE and logging in at the top of the page. Email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu with questions.
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