Holder, Evans lead ASU past Buffaloes
NO. 21 ARIZONA STATE 80, COLORADO 66
Tra Holder and TEMPE,
Shannon Evans each sank four 3pointers in the second half as No. 21 Arizona State pulled away to beat Colorado 80-66 on Saturday.
The Sun Devils (16-5, 4-5 Pac12) were 0-for-10 on 3s in a first half that ended tied at 32. But Arizona State made 10-of-21 from long range in the second half, led by two guards who rarely had their shooting touch working on the same night in recent weeks.
Holder scored 18 of his 22 points after halftime, going 4of-6 on 3s. Evans scored 13 of his 19 in the final 20 minutes, also making 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Dominique Collier scored 11 points for the Buffaloes (12-10, 4-6), who lost their third straight Pac-12 game. Namon Wright and Lucas Siewert added 10 apiece.
Arizona State avenged a Jan. 4 overtime loss at Colorado and avoided consecutive home losses after being beaten by Utah in overtime on Thursday night.
Arizona State never trailed in the first half but was never up by more than eight points, either, failing to make a 3 in a half for the first time since Jan. 12 last year at Arizona.
Colorado wasn’t much better from long range in the first 20 minutes, going 2-for-10 on 3pointers.
But one of the makes, by Collier with 1:03 to play in the half, tied it at 30. Evans made two free throws and D’shawn Schwartz scored inside for Colorado to make it 32-all at the break.
Vitaliy Shibel ended Arizona State’s long-range drought with a 3-pointer to open the second half. George King’s first basket of the night gave Colorado its first lead, 36-35, with 18:16 to play.
It was the first of seven lead changes and seven ties before Schwartz’s 3-pointer put the Buffaloes up 51-47 with 10:52 left. Holder responded with consecutive 3s, the second after a Colorado turnover, and the Sun Devils were back on top 53-50 with 10:01 to go. The Buffaloes never caught up again.
Evans made a 3-pointer, Holder sank another, then Evans made one more and it was 65-55 with 6:16 to go. Evans’ final 3 put the Sun Devils ahead 72-60 with 3:35 left.
The Buffaloes will try to end the three-game slide Friday at home against Utah.
It’s the first of a three-game homestand, with California and Stanford also coming to Boulder on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and Sunday, Feb. 11.