TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Tra Holder scored 20 points, helping Arizona State and coach Bobby Hurley pick up their first Pac-12 win of the season with an 84-73 win over Washington State on Thursday night.
Kodi Justice scored 11 of 16 of his points in the second half for ASU (11-6, 1-3 Pac-12) and Willie Atwood added 15.
Ike Iroegbu led the Cougars (9-7, 1-3) with 18 points and Josh Hawkinson, the Pac-12's leading rebounder, added 15 points and 12 rebounds after being saddled with three fouls in the first half. WSU has lost 5 of its last 7 games.
Arizona State took advantage of a Washington State scoring drought that lasted more than eight minutes of the first half. The Cougars went from a 13-10 lead at the 13:52 mark to a 27-13 deficit after a pair of free throws from Holder with 5:43 to go until halftime.
Holder also hit a pair of 3s during that stretch. He became the ASU first player since James Harden in 2007-2008 to score 20 points in five straight games.
The Sun Devils led by as many as 17 points in the first half, taking advantage of 15 fouls in the opening 20 minutes by the Cougars. ASU made 14 of 18 free throws.
The Cougars, down 40-25 at halftime, scored the first 10 points of the second half after season lows for first-half points, field goals made (9) and made 3s (0 for 3).
They made their first two 3s of the second half by Iroegbu to cut ASU's lead to 40-35. But the Sun Devils responded with an 8-0 run to take control again. Goodman tipped in a miss after Justice hit a 3, and Arizona State was able to stay in command for the rest of the way.
WSU couldn't cut in to the lead much, and Atwood threw down a dunk with 8:05 left after Justice stole the ball and passed ahead to Atwood for a 63-52 lead.
Atwood drilled a baseline 3 for a 73-56 lead with just over five minutes left.
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TIP-INS
WASHINGTON STATE: Senior F Brett Boese made his first start of the season and second of his college career. . Iroegbu has scored in double figures in 13 of the Cougars' 16 games. . WSU had only one offensive rebound at halftime.
ARIZONA STATE: The Sun Devils improved to 40-36 all-time against the Cougars. ASU has won six straight at home, 4 of the past 5 meetings and 8 of the past 11 overall. . Oleka made his third start of the season and surpassed his per-game scoring and rebounding averages, 7.8 and 4.5, before halftime. He finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Baltimore Ravens star defensive tackle Terrell Suggs, who played college football at Arizona State, sat courtside to watch his cousin, Cougars guard Renard Suggs. The elder Suggs posed for photos with the Sun Devils student section.
UP NEXT
Washington State at No. 18 Arizona on Saturday.
Arizona State hosts Washington on Saturday.
