Arizona State Survives Scare, Defeats Georgia State 73-66
PHOENIX – Arizona State narrowly avoided a stunning upset Wednesday night, overcoming a sluggish start and a resilient Georgia State team to secure a 73-66 victory at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils, playing without key contributor Jamiya Neal for the first three games due to an ankle injury, rallied behind a dominant performance from Moe Odum and a surprisingly impactful offensive showing from Noah Meeusen.
The win wasn’t without its challenges. ASU struggled to find its rhythm early, falling behind due to poor shooting and lackadaisical defence. Georgia State capitalized, hitting 4 of 7 shots while the Sun devils began the game 1-for-8 from the field, including four consecutive missed three-point attempts. A late first-half surge led by Odum briefly gave ASU a lead,but the Panthers maintained composure,ultimately leading to a tight contest throughout the second half.
Odum finished with a game-high 24 points, adding season-best marks of nine assists and five steals. A crucial steal by Neal with 10:25 remaining, trailing by two, sparked a momentum shift, leading to a tying basket by Odum. ASU later built its largest lead of the game at nine points with less than four minutes left, holding off a late Georgia State push.
Despite scoring only two points on two free throws, Meeusen’s playmaking was pivotal. Hurley praised Meeusen’s size (6-foot-5) and potential shooting ability, noting his experience averaging 6.3 assists at the 2024 U20 EuroBasket.”If somebody could watch the film and realize what Noah was doing, like, they gonna say, ‘That boy played really, really good today,'” Odum said of his teammate.
Georgia State finished 9 of 25 from three-point range (36%),while ASU struggled from distance,making just 4 of 21 attempts (21.1%), their fewest made three-pointers and lowest percentage of the season.
Arizona State (3-0) will now hit the road for its first away game, facing Hawaii on Saturday, before participating in the Mau’i Invitational, where they will open against Texas and former coach Sean Miller on Monday.
