Loss to Oregon doesn’t sit well with Sun Devils

EUGENE, Ore.  - Frustration was everywhere. It caused menacing looks on players’ and coaches’ faces. It also led to a few fist-pounding of seat cushions, screams directed at no one in particular and curses over missed chances.

An NCAA tournament greeting card could still be Arizona State’s for the taking, but the Sun Devils are going to have to grab a spot quickly. Thursday’s 67-61 loss to Oregon at historic McArthur Court didn’t have to end in aggravation, but the Sun Devils’ struggles made sure it did.

The ticky-tack plays piled up against ASU. Mix in 18 missed 3-pointers and seven free-throw attempts, and Saturday’s regular-season finale at Oregon State is essential for ASU’s chance at the Dance.

“It just wasn’t our day,” freshman James Harden said.

The little things compounded quickly after halftime.

• The Sun Devils trailed 33-32 at intermission, then 40-32 three minutes into the second half.

• Following a brief comeback, ASU again trailed by 11 points following six consecutive possessions of either a missed shot or turnover.

“We came out sluggish, without that extra burst,” Harden said.

• They tried another mini-surge, but fell behind 59-46 on Tajuan Porter’s fortunate roll.
After Porter’s 3-pointer, Oregon went scoreless for five straight possessions, and missed five consecutive free throws when the Sun Devils (18-11, 8-9 Pac-10) had to foul.

Harden hit a couple 3-pointers to briefly cut the deficit to 61-58, a score which enhanced the aggravation because of what ASU felt could have been.

The Sun Devils committed 15 turnovers and allowed 16 Oregon points.

The back-breakers were two offensive rebounds by Oregon in the final five minutes, one off a rushed 25-footer against the shot clock, another off a missed free throw.

“We need to get hung up on the things we can control,” ASU coach Herb Sendek said.

Shooting didn’t help. Derek Glasser had a solid floor game, but he, Ty Abbott (who tweaked his ankle in the second half but returned) and Rihards Kuksiks went 5 of 19 from behind the arc. The Ducks sagged on defense and squeezed Jeff Pendergraph inside for only five shot attempts (he made all five).

Harden finished with 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Those other than Pendergraph and Harden combined on an 11-for-33 shooting night.

Oregon (17-12, 8-9) hit its final eight free throws for good measure.

Malik Hairston led Oregon with 19 points, and the Ducks hit 44 percent from outside, a huge win for the Ducks to set up their regular-season finale against Arizona.

“I thought they did a really good job of closing the gap on us, and we did a good job of maintaining it and closing out,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said.

The Wildcats, ASU and Oregon are in a three-way, Pac-10 tie, and either one or two teams will finish the supposedly-golden 9-9 conference mark which many figure to be good enough to make March Madness.

Saturday against the winless Beavers is ASU’s last chance to finish .500 in the Pac-10, or risk having to make an extended stay in the conference tournament to make the bigger tournament.

At this point, Sendek knows he’d be preaching to the choir.

“I don’t think it has to be,” Sendek said of tournament talk to his team.

“Our guys don’t live in a cocoon somewhere.”