The Sports Xchange
Dec 19, 2017
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State guard Tra Holder scored 20 points and Kodi Justice added 18 as the No. 3 Sun Devils used a big second half to blow out Longwood 95-61 at Wells Fargo Arena on Tuesday.
De'Quon Lake had 16 points and nine rebounds and freshman guard Remy Martin had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Sun Devils (11-0) extended the best start in school history while equaling the second-longest winning streak.
Mickey Mitchell had 12 points. Holder had five rebounds and six assists and Lake had six rebounds.
The Sun Devils outscored the Lancers 60-31 in the second half after leading 35-30 at halftime. They shot only 33.3 percent in the first 20 minutes against the Lancers' 2-3 zone defense.
Senior guard B.K Ashe had 14 points, 12 in the first half, and freshman Kamil Chapman scored 16 for Longwood (3-8), which has lost 25 straight games to Division I opponents.
Holder had five points and Justice had a 3-pointer and an assist in a 19-2 run for a 57-36 lead early in the second half, when the Sun Devils' full-court press took the Lancers out of rhythm.
Mitchell, playing his third game after gaining his eligibility after the first semester, had a breakaway dunk, a tip-in and an assist in the big run. He started the second half.
The Sun Devils scored 46 of the first 63 points in the second half.
The Lancers shot 36.8 percent from the floor and committed 26 turnovers, 10 more than their season average, while playing without injured leading scorer Isaiah Walton, who is averaging 17.2 points a game.
Justice had four of the Sun Devils' 10 3-pointers and Holder had three
Longwood was within one at 14-13 after nine minutes as Arizona State struggled from the floor, making only four of its first 20 field goal attempts.
The Sun Devils went on 16-5 burst, the sort of thing it has done all year, for a 29-20 lead that was cut to 35-30 at half.
NOTES: No. 1 Villanova (11-0), No. 6 Miami (9-0) and No. 15 TCU (10-0) are the only other unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I. Those three and Arizona State do not play again until Saturday. ... Longwood's last Division I victory came against Big South rival Presbyterian on Jan. 4, 2017. The Lancers have beaten two Division II and one Division III team this season. ... Arizona State is No. 3 in the AP poll for the third time in school history. The 1962-63 and 1980-81 teams also got there. The 1962-63 team with Joe Caldwell was 26-3. The 1980-81 team of Byron Scott, Fat Lever and Alton Lister finished 24-4. ... Former NBA star Grant Hill attended the game wearing Arizona State gear.