Live blog: Arizona State routs Rebels, 97-73

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 | 3:03 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 | 7:09 p.m.

Arizona State tied a program record with 18 3-pointers, and when the numbers on the scoreboard finally stopped spinning, the Sun Devils had a 97-73 win over visiting UNLV.

UNLV trailed by 19 at the half and never got closer than 14 points in the second half. Six different Sun Devils hit from long range, led by senior guard Torian Graham's half-dozen (6-of-11).

For the Rebels' side, Jalen Poyser was the top scorer with 20 points, but most of that effort proved to be inconsequential as ASU layered on 3-pointer after 3-pointer.

UNLV drops to 5-3, with six days to prepare for the big matchup against Duke at T-Mobile Arena next weekend.

Rebels face big second-half deficit at Arizona State

Midway through the second half, UNLV hasn't been able to close the gap, and it looks like the Rebels are headed toward their biggest loss of the season as Arizona State leads 70-48 with 11:10 to play.

Dwayne Morgan just picked up his fifth foul on a hand check 20 feet from the basket, so he's done for the night after posting a line of 11 points and nine rebounds.

The only remaining drama will be provided by the ASU student section's "Curtain of Distraction," where a man in a tyrannosaurus rex costume just tried to shake Jalen Poyser between free throws. Unfazed, Poyser made them both and now has a team-high 16 points on the night.

Rebels buried under 3-point avalanche in first half

For a brief flash, it looked like UNLV had successfully navigated the early knockout punch—a necessity when trying to win on the road—when they trimmed Arizona State's lead to 34-29 with four minutes remaining in the half. But it turned out to be a mirage, as ASU got hot again and buried the Rebels under an avalanche of 3-pointers, using a late 17-3 run to put UNLV in a 51-32 hole at halftime.

Arizona State hit 13 3-pointers in the first half, connecting at a blistering 59.1-percent rate (13-of-22). Marvin Menzies will have to spend halftime devising a way to limit the Devils from the outside, as many of the shots were wide open against UNLV's zone defense. Torian Graham made 4-of-7 from deep, while Tra Holder went 3-of-4 and Shannon Evans went 3-of-5.

On offense, the Rebels have had success inside, outscoring ASU 10-6 on points in the paint while also racking up 20 free-throw attempts (13-of-20). Turnovers were a big problem, however, as the Rebels gave it away nine times, led by Jalen Poyser's three miscues. Poyser came alive late in the half and leads UNLV with 11 points, but he isn't getting much help. Tyrell Green has nine points, but the Rebels converted just eight field goals in the first 20 minutes (8-of-21).

It will take a much better showing on both ends of the court over the final 20 minutes if UNLV is going to make a game of this again.

UNLV weathering early barrage at Arizona State

With 6:19 to play in the first half, things have stabilized a bit with Arizona State holding a 31-24 lead over UNLV.

ASU is 8-of-13 from 3-point range, but the Rebels' have weathered the early barrage. Free throws are keeping UNLV in the game, as the Rebels are driving aggressively and are 8-of-12 from the stripe. The good news is, the Rebels will be shooting the double bonus for the rest of the half; the bad news is, 3-pointers are worth three points, while free throws are worth one point. So UNLV still has some work to do in order to close the gap.

Tyrell Green is leading UNLV with nine points. Dwayne Morgan has chipped in seven points and four rebounds.

Hot shooting from ASU has UNLV playing catch-up

UNLV has made a habit of racking up big early leads this season, but Arizona State has flipped the script today. The Sun Devils have hit six 3-pointers already (6-of-8 from 3-point range) and UNLV is currently facing an 11-point deficit, down 20-9 with 11:42 remaining in the first half.

The Rebels have mostly been playing a zone defense, but the hot shooting of Torian Graham (3-of-3 from long range) and Tra Holder (2-of-3) has forced Marvin Menzies to go back to a man-to-man alignment.

Sophomore wing Kris Clyburn didn't start the game due to an illness, but he must have made a swift recovery, as he checked in at the first media timeout and hit a 3-pointer to stop a 20-2 run by Arizona State.

Rebels hoping for different fate at Arizona State

Last year, UNLV seemed to be on its way to a promising season until a Dec. 16 home loss to Arizona State sent the Rebels spiraling. UNLV was 8-2 going into that game, but after the 66-56 defeat, the Rebels went on to drop four of their next five games, a dismal stretch that cost Dave Rice his job.

There probably isn't quite so much on the line today, as UNLV gets ready to take on the Sun Devils (4-3) at Wells Fargo Arena. But Marvin Menzies' squad is 5-2 and feeling some good vibes right now, so an upset win here (ASU is a 6-point favorite) could provide a very nice boost as the Rebels head into the teeth of the nonconference schedule.

Arizona State is a tough team to defend. Bobby Hurley plays a three-guard offense, with senior Torian Graham (16.6 points per game) and juniors Tra Holder (17.1) and Shannon Evans (15.4) spreading the court. UNLV may counter with more playing time for reserve guard Jovan Mooring, who has been explosive (if unpredictable) at times this season.

The 3-point line could determine the Rebels' fate. UNLV isn't built to launch from long range, but ASU allows a ton of 3-point attempts (only 16 teams have allowed more 3-point makes on the season), so look for Mooring and Jalen Poyser to get their share of open shots.

A win today would represent UNLV's best victory of the season, as Arizona State sits at No. 97 in the kenpom.com rankings. Are the Rebels capable of taking down a top-100 team on the road? Follow the live blog throughout the game as we break it down.

Mike's prediction: Arizona State 82, UNLV 75. The Rebels don't quite have the firepower to keep up with ASU, especially on the road.