Arizona State holds on in triple-overtime to upset No. 3 UCLA 87-84
Marreon Jackson went for 24 points, Jalen Graham put up 16 points and 10 rebounds, four other Sun Devils scored in double-figures, and Arizona State upset No. 3 UCLA 87-84 in a triple-overtime thriller.
The win was Arizona State’s third over an AP top-three club under head coach Bobby Hurley and the eighth in program history. It was also, according to ESPN, the first time since 1956 that an unranked opponent had beaten an AP top-five team in a game that went to at least triple-overtime.
Frenetic would be a good way to describe Saturday night’s upset.
With 15 minutes to play in regulation, Arizona State held a 10-point lead over the Bruins and the home crowd was going crazy.
UCLA then just started chipping away.
The Sun Devils didn’t help themselves down the stretch. Shot selection was suspect. What Jackson giveth, he also took away. The guard enjoyed a career night that had Hurley sweating; he made big shots in key moments and also took some questionable attempts in crucial spots.
Free throws from Jackson and Graham helped force OT, but ASU only made two shots from the field over the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The defense from both sides deserves credit, though. From both the Bruins and Sun Devils, the energy was great throughout. UCLA shot just 37% from the field on the game And 5-for-22 from 3.
Johnny Juzang struggled mightily from the floor, particularly from the second half on. He finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but before fouling out he missed his last seven shots.
UCLA was led by forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double.
At the end of the first overtime period, ASU had chances to win twice in the last five seconds. First it was Jackson missing a triple with four seconds left. Jaquez then overthrew his intended target on the ensuing inbounds play and gave ASU another crack at it with one second on the clock, but DJ Horne couldn’t get his triple to fall.
Jaquez again had his hands on the ball at the end of the second overtime. Tied at 74 with 20 seconds on the clock, UCLA got Jaquez iso’d on the right side of the floor. He was able to drive baseline into a stepback mid-range jumper that fell short.
A pair of triples helped fuel a 10-4 run to open the third overtime, and that burst proved to be enough. UCLA was playing catchup the rest of the way.
Jackson split a pair of free throws with six seconds to play to keep the Bruins within three. Rather than letting the Bruins get off a potential game-tying triple, ASU fouled and sent Jaquez to the charity stripe. He missed the first attempt, forcing UCLA into a situation where it needed an intentional miss, a rebound, and a triple.
The Bruins missed and were able to track down the loose ball in the right corner, but couldn’t get off a decent look. The buzzer sounded and ASU fans stormed the court.
Not going to keep them off the court in Tempe tonight. pic.twitter.com/Oud0ajMoxZ
— DevilsDigest.com (@DevilsDigest) February 6, 2022
After the game, Hurley praised his team’s resiliency. ASU had lost seven of its last eight games entering the night, with the only win a two-point victory over sputtering Utah.
“They haven’t given up through all this,” Hurley told reporters.
“It would’ve been tough if I walked in here again without a win. We are being very competitive in these games against elite teams. To break through and win that will hopefully build confidence that we can continue to build on.”
Now, ASU has some momentum to try and take into Monday’s matchup with No. 7 Arizona. The Sun Devils (7-13, 3-7 Pac-12) host the Wildcats at 6 p.m. PT.
UCLA (16-4, 8-3 Pac-12) has now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, slipping into a tie with Oregon for second in the conference. The Ducks hold the tiebreaker. The Bruins are back in action Tuesday against Stanford on the road. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. PT.