ASU basketball beats Baylor, advances in Big 12 Tournament
· Yahoo Sports
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — It's desperation time for the Arizona State men's basketball team. And the Sun Devils played like it.
Anthony "Pig" Johnson scored 19 points and snagged six rebounds to lead ASU to an 83-79 victory over Baylor in a first-round game at the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on March 10.
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The Sun Devils (16-15) also took to the floor, perhaps with a bit of distraction as several national reports came out on the eve of their tournament opener that coach Bobby Hurley was not coming back — something ASU officials called "premature."
If it was a distraction, it didn't show. The Sun Devils led by double digits much of the game, but Baylor made a run and got within three points at 67-64. ASU went back up by five on a driving layup by Santiago Trouet with 6:01 left.
With ASU up 72-64 after a 3-pointer by Noah Meeusen, Johnson drew a Baylor charging call, giving the ball back to the Sun Devils. They capitalized with Moe Odum hitting a runner in the lane for a 74-64 lead, and ASU had restored order.
The first half ended with ASU in front 44-35. The Sun Devils led for 17:38 of the 20-minute first half. Their largest lead was at 27-13 after a 3-pointer by Johnson. They shot 61% in the first half and had a nine-point lead despite Moe Odum not scoring, Massamba Diop not getting a single rebound, and there being zero free-throw attempts.
Baylor, which defeated ASU 73-68 two weeks ago in Waco, ends its season at 16-16 and will miss the postseason for the first time since 2018. Obi Agbim, who had 16 points and four 3-pointers the first time the teams played, managed just three pointsand was 1-for-9 from the field.
ASU advances to face Iowa State (25-6), which had a first-round bye. ASU closed out the regular season at Iowa State on March 7 and was thumped 86-65, the difference being 23 turnovers.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU, Bobby Hurley keep basketball season alive