Sun Devil’s storm court following upset of No. 13 Texas Tech

TEMPE, Ariz.- Arizona State welcomes the Big 12 rival No. 13 Texas Tech to Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday night. The final score of the game was 72-67, Maroon and Gold on top. 

“I am thrilled for our guys. We were playing as good defense as we have been playing all year. We have worked on end-of-the-game situations; despite our faults, this one was different,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said.

In one of the most shocking games of the year, ASU defeated a ranked team when it mattered most. ASU now has a possibility to make the tournament coming up in March. 

“We won this game; we got a chance to get back into the conversation. You just have to stack these wins and cherish these moments. We got to take care of business the rest of the way,” said senior guard Moe Odum.

Ups and downs for ASU

ASU has been having an interesting year, to say the least. Starting with getting blown out by teams like Houston and West Virginia. To then defeat Oklahoma State and Cincinnati. They have a record of 4-8 in the Big 12 and 13-12 overall. Hurley has gone viral across the sports world from post-game interviews describing his frustrations with the team. 

The Sun Devils put up a good fight against the Red Raiders. At halftime, ASU was ahead 37-36 after almost trailing for the majority of the game. The crowd was stunned with excitement when ASU took the lead in the final seconds of the first quarter. 

Tonight, Odum led the team in stats. Recording 23 points, 8-8 free throws, 6-12 field goals, and 3-6 on three pointers. 

TT is currently ranked #13 amongst college basketball. They currently have a ranking of 9-3 in conference, and 19-6 overall. The Red Raiders have been known for their excellent basketball program. Last year, they made the elite eight tournament during the playoffs. This year, they look to go back-to-back, making it again. 

The final five minutes of the game were crucial for both teams. It seemed that Texas Tech was getting its momentum back at the end of the game. The Sun Devils were in a very dire situation to stop them. 

Court? Stormed.

ASU fought till the very last second and won 72-67. The crowd rushed the court, surrounding the entire Sun Devil team. 

Odum was held above the crowd as if he were the hero for the Sun Devils.

“We finally stormed the court. I had to storm the court this year. I am just so happy we were finally able to get one,” Odum said.

 Against all odds, ASU men’s basketball broke its 11-game losing streak against ranked teams.

“We beat a team like that, you got to feel like you can compete with any team,” said Hurley.