ASU basketball remains undefeated with 82-70 win over St. John’s

LOS ANGELES – Kodi Justice had not had the best second half. He missed his first two shots, then got a little too cute with a pass in traffic that resulted in a turnover.

But in Friday night’s closing minutes, with St. John’s surging, the Arizona State senior returned to form, canning a 3-pointer from the right wing to help lift the No. 16 Sun Devils to an 82-70 win in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Staples Center.

Off to its best start since 1974, ASU improved to 8-0. The Sun Devils visit No. 2 Kansas on Sunday. The Jayhawks, coming off Wednesday’s loss to Washington, likely will be in a foul mood.

“It was a terrific that we gutted it out,” coach Bobby Hurley said.

St. John’s trailed by 18 late in the first half, but the Red Storm charged. With 2 minutes, 41 seconds left, guard Shamorie Ponds scored to cut the margin to 71-70. ASU was reeling a bit, out of rhythm on one end, out-scrapped on the other.

Justice took a pass from senior guard Tra Holder and restored order, hitting a 3-pointer that triggered a game-ending 11-0 run. St. John’s dropped to 8-2.

After the game, St. John’s coach Chris Mullin was asked if his strategy was to limit Holder, ASU’s leading scorer and two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week. He said he wanted to make ASU’s guards shoot over St. John’s length, and then he paused to look at the stat sheet, scanning it for a certain player. 

“What’s the No. 44 guy’s name?,” Mullin said to himself. “Justice — he could really shoot it.”

This game concerned Hurley. More than most. St. John’s had active guards. The Red Storm forced turnovers. Plus, he said their roster was reflective of New York. Tough kids, hard-nosed. Not intimidated.

What is ASU reflective of at this point?

Start with resilience. Last month the Sun Devils overcame deficits to both Kansas State and Xavier. Friday night they built a big lead, only to cough most of it up. They could have folded. They didn’t.

Redshirt-freshman Romello White was strong with 22 points and nine rebounds. (He also hit 6 of 7 from the foul line, a problem all season.) When ASU stalled in the second half, the 6-8 forward  produced. After Justice’s three-pointer, freshman guard Remy Martin dished inside to White to stretch the lead to five.

“There were a few turning-point plays and I thought Kodi’s three was huge, a momentum shot,” Hurley said. “He has a knack for making big shots. He wants the moment. And I thought Remy’s pass late (in the shot) clock to ‘Mello with a great finish was also critical.”

St. John’s tried to take away ASU’s guards, a sound strategy considering seniors Holder, Justice and Shannon Evans had averaged 55.8 over their first seven contests. But the Sun Devils are different this season, more balanced, and they proved as much from the opening minutes.

Throughout their hot start, the lone engine not firing had been redshirt-freshman Vitaliy Shibel. And this was fine. ASU had played so well that Shibel’s 3 of 17 start from 3-point range had been mostly overlooked. Against, St. John’s, the 6-foot-9 stretch forward finally found his touch.

He produced the game’s first points, a 3 from the right corner. Ninety seconds later, Justice took pass in about the same spot. He was open. He could’ve shot. Instead he flipped a pass to Shibel, who buried another 3. Without Holder scoring a field goal, ASU led 46-34 at halftime.

“They attack the paint and they make deep shots,” Mullin said. “It’s a nice way to play.”

In the second half, St. John’s continued chipping away, out-working ASU on the boards. The Red Storm took advantage of a 3-plus minute ASU scoring drought, pulling within six and then three and then one. But they never could take the lead.

Evans finished with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Justice had 15 points and Shibel had a season-high 11. Holder scored a season-low 7 points, missing 10 of 12 from the field, but still contributed five rebounds and four assists. ASU shot 45.5 percent, making 9 of 23 from 3-point range.

Ponds led St. John’s with 19 points. The Red Storm played with out second-leading scorer Marcus LoVett, who missed his third game with a knee injury.

Up next for ASU: Kansas.

“Just with them coming off the loss to Washington, I know they’ve had some really stiff, tough practices and I know Coach (Bill) Self has motivated them,” Hurley said. “And then you have Allen (Fieldhouse) and the advantage that that building is, it’s going to be something for our players to experience.”

RELATED: ASU takes its ‘buzz’ on the road to face St. John’s, Kansas

Contact Doug Haller at 602-444-4949 or at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter.com/DougHaller.