Sun Devils limp home from 0-2 L.A. trip

LOS ANGELES - James Harden looked back at full strength, shooting, driving and being the Arizona State men’s basketball team’s offense. When healthy, he’s been the offense of late, and therein lies a problem that the Sun Devils have learned the hard way lately.

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Saturday was the next trying time, a 67-53 loss to USC at Galen Arena which puts ASU’s losing streak at five games and drops the team below .500 in Pac-10 play.

Perhaps in a week when the Sun Devils return to action, they’ll know whether their minibreak will be a boon or prolong this three-week bust.

“We’ve played through a stretch where we’re playing the best teams in college basketball,” ASU coach Herb Sendek said. “They want to do well so very much. This time of year is probably a good time to have a little longer break. We get some time together.”

Looking back, however, the Sun Devils lamented over missed opportunities, defensive lapses and an inability to find anyone other than No. 13 to consistently score points.

This game was a close contest (briefly) until the final minutes. The Trojans (14-7, 5-4 Pac-10) also have a freshman phenom in O.J. Mayo (20 points). He helped put the game away down the stretch, but he also had help from Taj Gibson (19 points) and Davon Jefferson.

Harden had 40 percent of ASU’s first-half points, then started the second half strong, but was whistled for three consecutive fouls (two offensive), his fourth coming with 15:57 left to play and the score tied at 36-36.

Coincidence or not, that began the undoing. The Sun Devils hung around a few more minutes, but USC scored on eight consecutive possessions and pushed ahead by double digits, as Mayo scored seven straight.

With the team sliding, Harden returned to the game with the Sun Devils trailing by 11, but ASU (14-7, 4-5) couldn’t do enough on offense or defense to generate any runs.

“It’s been symptomatic of our team all season,” said Sendek, who was whistled for a technical foul minutes after Harden picked up four fouls in five minutes. “It’d be great if we can get to a point where we have that kind of balanced scoring.”

Still, the Sun Devils briefly pulled within 56-50 on a Harden dunk with just less than three minutes remaining, but Mayo drove for an easy layup and forced a turnover on defense.

Harden fouled out in the game’s final minute with the outcome already decided, but not before a game-high 26 points, in which he missed only one shot and one free throw.

Jeff Pendergraph was next with 10 points.

As expected following Thursday night’s blowout to UCLA, ASU came out ready and willing. Harden, in particular, came out firing. He had 11 points by intermission and his hard drives to the basket showed little effect from a lingering groin injury he aggravated Thursday.

The problem was he didn’t have much help offensively. ASU only trailed 30-26 at the half, but had their chances for more. Open jumpers and layups came their way, but weren’t converted. Derek Glasser made a couple of outside shots, but Pendergraph managed two dunks late in the first half for his only four points before intermission, as the Sun Devils shot 39 percent from the field and committed eight turnovers.