It’s one thing to lose to Gonzaga. Then there’s the loss to Georgia State. Yes, the state of Georgia.
For a moment it looked like indignity might befall Arizona Statebut coach Bobby Hurley’s team rallied from an 11-point deficit and earned a 75-62 victory Monday, Nov. 17, at Desert Financial Arena.
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ASU (3-1) trailed by 11 points twice in the second half, including 52-41 with 14:20 left.
Georgia State (1-4) led 54-44 with 12:44 to play when ASU went on a 20-1 run, capped by a layup by Anthony “Pig” Johnson that propelled ASU to a 64-55 lead.
Georgia State didn’t make a field goal in the final 6:24 and made just one of its last 14 shots from the field.
Hurley wasn’t surprised his team came out a little slow. He cited the natural disappointment that came after that late Friday night against Gonzaga. The team also had a 5 a.m. flight to Hawaii after Monday’s game, where it will play three games. So it was the ultimate “trap” game.
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“It’s not the easiest game for a lot of reasons,” Hurley said. “I don’t think I felt 100 percent today, so I can’t say our players didn’t either. With the level of game we played Friday night (against Gonzaga) and it being a very late game and then playing here again, it’s a whole different atmosphere. It’s hard to put in the same effort. It was a tough game, especially with the bags packed, getting ready to get on a plane tomorrow morning.”
Let’s review:
What went well
Moe Odum: The point guard contributed in every way possible, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, nine assists and five steals. He had 15 points, four assists, two rebounds and three steals in the first half, during which he made his first six shots from the field. Odum is usually a pass-first point guard, as evidenced by his 21 assists in the first three games, but no one else did much offensively in the half, so he was more aggressive offensively. He shot 10 of 19 from the field for the game.
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Better ball handling: ASU had just 10 turnovers, including just two in the first half. Of course, Georgia State wasn’t playing the most aggressive defense either. The Panthers had 18 turnovers. ASU finished with a 27-7 edge in points off turnovers. It was defense in the second half that fueled the comeback, highlighted by a 20-1 run.
The great man contributed: Massamba Diop recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, marking his first of the season and the third by an ASU player in four games so far. He also had two blocks and a steal. It’s been some time since the Sun Devils They had a big man they could play all game long, but Diop emerged as that kind of presence.
The Panthers started missing shots: Georgia State went 9 out of 25 from long distance in the contest. Their early success was one of the factors that allowed them to take an early lead. Three minutes into the second half, the Panthers were 9 of 15 from deep and led 48-37. They then missed 10 in a row from long distance.
Best free throw shooting: This was a problem last game as ASU only made 13 of 23 against Gonzaga. They went 13 for 18, with Diop 5 for 6.
ASU Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) is shown before their game against the Georgia State Panthers at Desert Financial Arena on November 17, 2025.
What went wrong
Three-point shot: The Sun Devils went 4-for-19 for the game and didn’t score their first until Andrija Grbovic did with 6:47 left in the first half. However, they made big ones when it counted. Odum and Bryce Ford made back-to-back shots that gave ASU a 60-55 lead, which was part of the comeback.
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Bad problem: Two of ASU’s biggest contributors off the bench were non-factors early on due to foul trouble. Allen Mukeba committed two fouls in quick succession and only played four minutes in the first half. Johnson committed three personal fouls in six minutes. Odum notched his fourth with 7:04 left and ASU led 62-55, so he had to go to the bench with the outcome still uncertain. Johnson collected his fourth a minute later.
Personal notes
Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen, from Belgium, saw his first action of the season, playing 17 minutes and finishing with two points, three rebounds and two steals. He missed the first three games with a sprained ankle suffered in practice. His addition is essential because Odum had to play heavy minutes in his absence.
They said it
“Our activity increased a lot on defense. Pig (Johnson) stole the ball a few times and dunk it; the crowd got into it. We gained confidence and you could tell they were very hesitant in how they handled pressure, which even made us try to be more disruptive, and that’s what led to those baskets.” – ASU coach Bobby Hurley on the 20-1 run that put his team in control
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“In the first half, our energy was low. We were slow. I said some things in the locker room and they responded really well. Just being able to go after my teammates and get them to respond, that made all the difference.” -ASU point guard Moe Odum
To be continued
After playing four straight home games, the Sun Devils hit the road for their next five games. They will play at Hawaii (4-1) on November 20, then face Texas (3-1) in the first round of the Maui Invitational on November 24.
The next home game is Dec. 9 against Northern Arizona.
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: ASU men recover well from Gonzaga setback
