GCU bedevils ASU to wire, loses by 1

Sunday, December 13

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-1

Arizona State

4-2

Arizona St.

Grand Canyon

12/13/2020 6:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Drew presser Photo Gallery

Blacksher's 21-point, 4-steal game pushes 23rd-ranked Sun Devils

By: Paul Coro

As Grand Canyon closes the gap on top college basketball teams, that margin slimmed to one point or an inch on Sunday against No. 23 Arizona State.

The Lopes' minds will replay the minutiae of every move in a 71-70 loss to the Sun Devils at GCU Arena, but the Phoenix-area teams' first Division I meeting demanded respect for GCU. Head coach Bryce Drew's Lopes challenged ASU down to the last GCU shot that caromed off the front and back rim and out.

"I want to congratulate GCU," ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. "It reminded me of what basketball was like prior to COVID and there was a level of environment at the game with the noise and limited amount of fans (325 students) in attendance. Their team really fought hard and I think Coach Drew is going to do a great job out here in the Valley. His basketball family is why we were excited to start the series and hope that we can continue to do it in the future."

The Lopes (4-1) took a 70-68 lead with 30 seconds remaining when senior power forward Alessandro Lever made a 3-pointer off sophomore point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.'s feed. But ASU set up Alonzo Verge Jr. to whip a lefthanded, cross-court pass to All-Pac-12 guard Remy Martin, who finished a 23-point second half with a corner 3-pointer off a back screen for a 71-70 Sun Devils lead with nine seconds remaining.

"We were about 1 inch from deflecting it and he just got it over the top," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said of Blacksher's challenge on Martin, who scored ASU's final seven points on jump shots.

The Lopes rushed the ball to the frontcourt before calling a time out with 6.2 seconds. GCU set up the sideline inbound for Blacksher, but was unable to free him.

The 5-foot-11 guard did well to create space against ASU's Holland Woods and raised up off his left leg to fire a 3-point shot over Woods' outstretched hand.

As Blacksher bounced backward and the bench's hands went up, the potential game-winner rimmed out to deny GCU an upset win on top of Friday's impressive win against Nevada.

"It was a great college basketball game," Drew said. "I don't think we lost the game. I think they won the game."

The Lopes achieved slowing down the pace against the smaller, faster Sun Devils, with the teams grinding through 38% shooting for each in the first half. ASU's full-court pressure got to GCU's early nerves at times. Some of the Lopes' 18 turnovers set up the Sun Devils' 11-2 run that took a 29-26 lead heading into the final minute of the first half.

Jovan Blacksher

But after Blacksher scored on a drive, he pulled off a highlight swipe when he caught Martin looking back at Hurley and took the opportunity to steal his dribble and make a layup for a GCU 30-29 halftime lead.

Blacksher followed up his career-high 22-point game against Nevada with another impressive performance. Given the most important task at both ends, Blacksher delayed Martin's scoring binge with his first-half defense, handled the ball under constant duress and posted 21 points, five assists and a career-high tying four steals while playing all but one minute of the game.

"It was really good to see him settle in those last 15 minutes," Drew said. "He took good shots and made big play after big play for us. This is only going to make Jovan better. We're proud for where Jovan is at, but we're also excited to see where Jovan is going to be throughout this year and the rest of his career here."

GCU junior forward Sean Miller-Moore provided important minutes in defending ASU freshman phenom Josh Christopher because of senior forward Oscar Frayer's foul trouble. He had six rebounds and three steals off the bench.

Blacksher's scoring was supplemented by a 14-point, nine-rebound game from senior center Asbjørn Midtgaard and 18 points from Lever. Combined, GCU's starting big men were 13 of 18 from the field.

The first GCU-ASU official meeting in 40 years started a new rivalry with a thriller that traded leads 14 times.

"It hurts," Lever said. "I think it came down to rebounding and turnovers. They pressed us the whole game and we turned the ball over way too much that we were supposed to.

"I think there is a long way for us to go, but I think we can make it."

ASU used GCU's 18 turnovers for a 23-9 advantage in points off turnovers. The Lopes' strength was inside, utilizing a size advantage to make 17 of their 23 field goals in the paint.

"These are definitely steps that we can build off of," said Drew, who commended Hurley for scheduling the home-and-home series with them. "You never know how a team, especially a new team with a lot of players who you've haven't gone through tough games with and adversity with during a season, are going to respond.

"It's a great sign for resiliency, but it has to be a constant. It can't just be a one- or two-time thing. It's got to be something every game that there is always fight in them throughout the 40 minutes."

For Martin, he appreciated his first chance to play in front of a crowd that was restricted in size, but not in volume.

"They played extremely hard," Martin told thesundevils.com. "I knew they wanted to play us as much as we wanted to play them, and the atmosphere was crazy. I could see them coming to Arizona State in the future and having great battles. I just love rivalries just like Arizona, so it'll just be fun to play another one in the home state."