Pendergraph leads ASU to 59-54 win at Arizona

TUCSON - The mob scene and cameras were gone, but Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek still answered questions, including one about improbable wins in his 15-year coaching career.

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He grinned, and though a few flooded his mind from the Miami (Ohio) and North Carolina State days, he kept specifics to himself.

Sunday’s 59-54 comeback victory against Arizona may squeeze its way into his psyche.

A five-game losing streak ended in jaw-dropping fashion at McKale Center. All it took was a huge deficit, a big lead and a late scare.

In this emotional Tilt-a-Whirl on parquet, the reeling road team was left smiling. The team stuck in a canyon of a deficit, with its leading scorer barely able to play, without victory on this end of the Interstate 10 corridor since 1995.

They celebrated in a sardine-packed locker room. ASU was giddy about its first regular-season sweep of UA since ’95, and is back on the bubble when it comes to the NCAA tournament.

“It was such a great feeling when that buzzer went off,” sophomore guard Derek Glasser said.

Afterward, the grin Jeff Pendergraph flashed before he gave athletic director Lisa Love a hug came from the junior who had a career day, and, for once in his lifetime, a win in Tucson.

Burdened by the flu and unable to practice the past few days, James Harden labored, so it was Pendergraph (career-high 29 points) and UA freshman Jerryd Bayless (career-high 39 points) who tilted this game on a wobbly axis.

Unstoppable from outside and inside, Bayless had 26 points at halftime.

Bayless steamrolled ASU early. He hit his first seven shots (four from behind the arc) in the opening 10 minutes, and ASU was facing a 22-6 deficit in which a second blowout loss in three games felt like a foregone conclusion.

“We were hit between the eyes,” Sendek said.

Players knew the feeling. It happened two weekends ago at UCLA, where ASU was blown out early and stayed out.

Unstoppable from 15 feet and in, Pendergraph had 20 by halftime.

Eventually, UA (15-8, 5-5 Pac-10) hit a dry spell, and the comeback crept along.

Pendergraph kept posting, and the Sun Devils defended, rebounded and outscored the Wildcats 25-10 in the final 11 minutes of the first half.

“We just gave in,” UA interim coach Kevin O’Neill said.

Down 32-31 at intermission, ASU (15-7, 5-5) steamrolled the second half, and shot 55 percent for the game.

Bayless continued his assault, but UA was kept off the offensive glass and seemed to suffer without point guard Nic Wise (knee surgery).

Bayless was 12 of 18 (6 of 10 from behind the 3-point line). His teammates were 3 of 23.

ASU also suffered without a typical Harden, but Glasser scored seven points and had four assists in the second half, Jerren Shipp came up big, and, with Glasser and Ty Abbott already fouled out, Jamelle McMillan hit a left-handed scoop shot for a 57-49 lead ASU would need.

Bayless gave UA one more push with seven points in the final four minutes to set up a final 3-point attempt with eight seconds left, but unsuccessfully tried to pump-fake his way into contact.

Shipp hit two free throws, which left stunned fans spewing at the officiating and scratching their heads.

“This losing streak has been tough,” Pendergraph said, “but to snap it down here, it speaks to what we’re capable of.”