TEMPE– Arizona State (4-0) held Louisiana-Monroe (1-4) to its lowest-scoring game of the season, beating the Warhawks 92-62 in their first matchup in program history.

 

Tuesday in Texas, the Warhawks took TCU to double overtime, where the Horned Frogs won 100-92.

 

Despite the loss, Arizona State respected Louisiana-Monroe coming into Tempe, especially from the three-point range, where the Warhawks have been lighting it up.

 

“We respected this team a lot because they took TCU to overtime, and we just took it seriously,” senior forward Paulius Murauskas said. “We had a good practice yesterday, and we just smashed them in the first half.”

 

First Period

 

The Warhawks stunned the Sun Devils in the first five minutes of the first period, taking a 7-3 lead after finding offense early. But after a media timeout, ASU figured out their mistakes and took over on the boards.

 

With Arizona State’s size dominating on the glass, they finished with 48 rebounds, while Louisiana-Monroe had 35.

 

“That’s one of our big deals: rebounding, defending, taking care of the ball, and being efficient offensively,” ASU head coach Randy Bennett said.

 

Beyond the arc

 

In the first three games of the season, the Sun Devils have struggled to defend the three, giving up seven to eight threes a game.

 

Before Friday’s game, Louisiana-Monroe had averaged ten threes a game through the first four games of the season.

 

With the emphasis on the three-point line, Arizona State keyed in on the Warhawks’ shooting. The Maroon and Gold held them to six threes, most of which came late in the fourth when the Sun Devils were up double digits.

 

“Just working on it,” Bennett said. “It’s been a point of emphasis as our defense has; it’s started to improve.”

 

Instead, Arizona State flipped the script, making 15 three-pointers from six different shooters.

 

The Sun Devils’ balanced offensive attack helped them build momentum and take control of the game. It allowed them to create separation late in the first half. Surpassing the 40 mark, which gave players off the bench time in the game.

 

“It was good to be able to get to that 30 to 35 mark to get other guys in, get them more familiar with the environment, with how the game is being played,” sophomore guard Joel Foxwell said.

 

Arizona State finished with 18 bench points, showcasing the depth in the lineup.

 

Stars of the game

 

Murauskas led the way in the first quarter, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, with points coming from all over the court.

 

He finished just shy of his career-high 33 points, with a double-double: 31 points and 13 rebounds. His performance to start the season earned high praise from his head coach, who called Murauskas one of the best he’s coached.

 

“I would say the best at that position,” Bennett said.

 

The Sun Devils also saw a spark from Foxwell, who scored the first points for the Sun Devils with a three, finished with 16 points and nine assists, and junior center Ben Deffy, who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while making it difficult for the Warhawks to score in the paint

 

With a 4-0 start to the season, the first since the 2018-19 season, Arizona State will continue to take the positives out of the game against Louisiana-Monroe and build on it.

 

“Take every day step by step and every game, take it seriously, play and know like it’s the last game,” Murauskas said. “Take every opponent with respect.”

 

Arizona State finishes its five-game homestand to open the season Wednesday, Nov. 18 vs. Oakland—before its first road trip, where it faces LSU and South Carolina.