The Arizona State Sun Devils stepped onto the court on Saturday, January 3, for their Big 12 Conference opener, and it was a game they could not afford to lose. The Sun Devils had already suffered two consecutive losses in nonconference play, and this matchup against Colorado presented one of their best opportunities to turn things around in an otherwise challenging conference schedule.

Despite being picked as the team to finish last in the Big 12, Arizona State had previously defeated Colorado twice in the past season. However, the momentum did not carry over this time. Colorado proved too strong, defeating the Sun Devils 95-89 at the Desert Financial Arena.

The loss marked another step in the downward spiral for the Sun Devils, who now sit at 9-5 on the season. With three of their next four games coming against top-10 teams—two of which are on the road—the pressure was on for ASU to secure a win here. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

ASU trailed 91-86, but Anthony “Pig” Johnson nailed a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to cut the lead to two at 91-89. ASU had to foul to stop the clock, and Colorado’s Isaiah Johnson hit both tries to put the game away.

A closer look at what went down:

What went right

Moe Odum back to being Moe Odum: He racked up 21 points and had 12 assists for his first double-double and the fourth by an ASU player this season. He also had three rebounds, two steals and four turnovers.

Rallied in the second half: ASU battled back from the double-digit deficit and took an 81-80 lead with 3:50 left. The Sun Devils last led at 84-83 on a driving bucket by Johnson, but that lasted only seconds as Johnson scored at the other end to put Colorado up for good. ASU outscored Colorado in the second half 51-47.

Defense at rim: The Sun Devils had 10 blocks, seven by Diop, two by Mukeba, and one by Noah Meeusen. That was a season best, two more than the win against Southern Utah. The seven by Diop was a season best.

What wrong

Got off to a slow start: ASU trailed at the half 48-38, going just 12-for-31 from the field and 3-for-13 from 3-point range and being outrebounded 25-12. Colorado shot 52.9% (18-for-34) from the field in the half. ASU trailed by as many as 14 points at 39-25 with 3:30 left.

Defense: It’s hard to win a lot of games when you give up 95 points, 32 of those at the line, and your opponent shoots 49.2% (29-for-59) from the field. Besides the 32 points at the line, Colorado scored 40 points in the paint. This was a season-high for points allowed and marked the third time the Sun Devils have given up 90 or more points.

Colorado made its free throws: The Buffaloes made 32 of 38 tries from the line, with Sebastian Rancik making 12 of 14. With ASU facing a double-digit deficit, Colorado’s success at the line made it a tough road back.

Rebounding still an issue: Colorado dominated the boards 42-32, with a 28-20 advantage on the defensive boards. ASU has lost the rebounding battle in six games, won the rebounding battle in five and been even in three games, but the games in which they won the rebounding battle were wins over non-power conference teams, the exception being the Oklahoma win.

Personnel

Meeusen and Mukeba both made their first starts, and Mukeba finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Santiago Trouet (lower leg injury), who had started every game, was out with an injury, while Andrija Grbovic, another mainstay in the starting lineup, played despite illness. He checked into the game for the first time with 5:08 into the contest and made his first two shots of the game, both 3-pointers. ASU also has two players who have not played this season, Vijay Wallace and Adante Holiman.

ASU coach Bobby Hurley: “We weren’t ready to play and defend and play with energy at that end of the floor, and it cost us. We had to play from behind, and these games aren’t played like this anymore. Maybe in the Pac-12, you could go and think we could beat someone 88-86, or something like that. All day today, I’m watching these games, and it’s like 66-60, you know, rock fights. Every possession matters. That’s crazy. You give up 95 points, you’re not going to beat many teams.”

ASU forward Allen Mukeba: “We got to keep our heads up. We’ve got to keep going. Everything is possible. We have to stop having to play catch up. The first half was really sluggish. Second half, we were playing better. We have to work on that.”

Up next

The Sun Devils hit the road for a game at Brigham Young (13-1) on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The Cougars opened conference play with an 83-73 win over Kansas State in Manhattan behind a 24-point, eight-rebound effort from A.J. Dybantsa.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Slide continues as Arizona State drops Big 12 opener to Colorado

The game started with Colorado taking control early, building a 14-point lead. The Sun Devils fought back in the second half, making a strong push to close the gap. At one point, they pulled within two points, with just 43 seconds remaining on the clock. They had a chance to tie or take the lead, but a critical error cost them the opportunity.

Moe Odum, one of the key players for Arizona State, turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, squandering the chance to make a dramatic comeback. The missed opportunities were costly, and Colorado managed to hold on for the victory.

Key Moments from the Game

• Early Deficit: Colorado took control early, establishing a 14-point lead that proved difficult for Arizona State to overcome.
• Second-Half Push: The Sun Devils showed resilience, cutting the deficit to just two points in the final moments of the game.
• Critical Turnovers: A pair of turnovers by Moe Odum in the closing seconds sealed the fate of the game for Arizona State.

Looking Ahead for the Sun Devils

With the loss, the Sun Devils face an even steeper challenge ahead. Their next four games include three matchups against teams ranked in the top 10, all on the road. This stretch will test the team’s ability to bounce back and adapt to the high level of competition in the Big 12.

For now, the focus will be on regrouping and finding ways to improve their performance. The Sun Devils have shown flashes of potential, but consistency remains a key issue. If they can learn from this loss and adjust their strategy, there is still hope for a strong finish to the season.

The upcoming games will be crucial in determining whether Arizona State can recover from this setback and make a statement in the Big 12.