Three takes from Arizona State basketball’s first win of season

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State Sun Devils earned their first victory of the season over the Texas Southern Tigers. ASU won 63-52. Here are three takeaways from today’s game.

Three takes from Arizona State basketball’s home opener

1. Defensive Pressure

The Sun Devils greatly increased their defensive pressure as they employed full-court pressure early in the first half and maintained it for a large portion of the game. The increased pressure led to 19 total turnovers by Texas Southern and was a key factor in building a lead for Arizona State. ASU forced 16 turnovers alone in the first half. Despite the increased pressure throughout the game, the Sun Devils were only called for 12 fouls in the entire game.

The high-pressure defense proved to be problematic for Texas Southern all night and was a major factor in Arizona State securing the victory.

2. Rebounding needs to improve

For the second straight game, the Sun Devils were outrebounded. Texas Southern brought in 49 rebounds to ASU’s 44. This is not something that should be happening against a much smaller team from an inferior conference. The Tigers were able to extend numerous possessions by grabbing 16 offensive rebounds while also grabbing more defensive boards than Arizona State. The 5 rebound deficit in today’s contest is a vast improvement compared to the 13 rebound deficit in Wednesday’s game against Mississippi State, but the Sun Devils will need to be better if they want to return to the NCAA tournament.

3. Frankie Collins

Frankie Collins was making an impact in nearly every aspect of the game today. He finished with thirteen points, eight rebounds, 6 assists, and one steal.

The point guard led Arizona State in all three major stat categories; points, assists, and rebounds. Not too shabby.

Collins acted as the main facilitator on the offensive side and helped the Sun Devils set the tone on defense. If Collins is able to keep up this level of play, good things will likely come for Arizona State.

Looking ahead for Arizona State

Arizona State’s next game is Thursday, November 16th against UMass Lowell at 7:00 pm at Desert Financial Arena. Stay tuned to Sun Devil Daily for coverage all season long.

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