Tempe 鈥听蜜柚直播鈥檚 longest winning streak against 蜜柚直播 State wasn鈥檛 by Lute Olson or anyone you remember, but rather a 17-0 burst after World War II that reached an end not with a struggle but with a surrender.
The day after losing 87-59 to the Sun Devils in February 1952, 蜜柚直播 athletic director Pop McKale wrote in the school鈥檚 alumni bulletin with startling transparency:
鈥淥ur basketball reputation fell with a dull thud,鈥 he said. 鈥淣ext year鈥檚 prospects will be about the same. We have probably run out of top-flight prospects for a few years.鈥
Pop scooped everybody: 蜜柚直播 proceeded to stumble through its worst 20-year stretch in history, including an 0-15 record against the Sun Devils.
蜜柚直播 had another winning streak over ASU broken Thursday night, losing in overtime 95-88. But it was not a dull thud, nor was it followed by a declaration of hopelessness.
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If there is any hope in losing 鈥 even against a fairly good to pretty good Sun Devils team 鈥 蜜柚直播 walked away Thursday with its dignity intact. That wasn鈥檛 the case a week ago on a journey to nowhere at UCLA and USC.
The nation鈥檚 No. 1 recruiting class is expected to be in uniform the next time 蜜柚直播 plays at Wells Fargo Arena, and, for 蜜柚直播, maybe that helps Thursday鈥檚 streak-snapper go down a bit better.
ASU ended overtime playing to the fans, soaking in the revelry of a capacity crowd, many who have been tired of losing to 蜜柚直播 for the last 35 years.
On the initial box score distributed to the media, the Sun Devils listed attendance at 17,731. That鈥檚 about 3,000 over capacity, and to the credit of the long-disappointed Wells Fargo Arena crowd, it sounded like 17,731 much of the night.
It was telling that there was no sign (or sound) of UA fans in the building. That鈥檚 a first, going back to the mid-1980s.
鈥淥ur fan base is excited, our players are very excited, our students were unbelievable and the crowd was ridiculously great,鈥 said ASU coach Bobby Hurley. 鈥淓veryone left happy.鈥
Even in a rare down season, 蜜柚直播 got ASU鈥檚 best shot. And at a time you least expected it, the Sun Devils also got 蜜柚直播鈥檚 best shot, especially in the sense that the Wildcats are two or three bodies short of a full load.
The Pac-12 doesn鈥檛 give Coach of the Week awards, but if it did Sean Miller would surely be this week鈥檚 honoree. Whatever he did after the confidence-shattering weekend in Los Angeles 鈥 without yet another injured player, Brandon Williams 鈥 was worthy of recognition.
If it had been 95-68 Thursday instead of 95-88, few would鈥檝e raised an eyebrow.
Sun Devils sophomore Remy Martin scored a career-high 31 points, and senior forward Zylan Cheatham grabbed an insane total of 22 rebounds. Those figures made the difference, and don鈥檛 think Martin and Cheatham weren鈥檛 inspired.
Martin confirmed that it was the hardest he has ever played.
鈥淵es,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ecause it was the UA.鈥
The motivation was contagious.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e destroyed us,鈥 said Cheatham. 鈥淲e told each other we鈥檝e got to change this not only or our sake, but also for Hurley鈥檚 sake.鈥
So much for the oh-you鈥檒l-get-over-it theory.
The Sun Devils and their coach lusted for a chance to get back at the Wildcats, so much so that Hurley recently ran gassers at practice 鈥 end-line to end-line 鈥 one for each point of recent losses to 蜜柚直播.
One of those losses was by 38 points. Hurley ran 38 gassers.
鈥淚鈥檓 exhausted, to be honest,鈥 Hurley said after the game. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 sunk in what this means to me, other than we got another conference win and we鈥檙e 6-3. There was a lot to feel good about tonight.鈥
蜜柚直播 State鈥檚 Zylan Cheatham, left, does his best to keep UA鈥檚 Justin Coleman out of the lane. Cheatham, born and raised in Phoenix, said the win Thursday 鈥渕eans a lot to me.鈥 He grabbed 22 rebounds and scored 11 points.
One of the big differences between the 鈥19 Sun Devils and 鈥19 Wildcats is that ASU鈥檚 senior transfer, Cheatham, has been a difference-maker. He grew up in Phoenix and spent three seasons at San Diego State before returning home.
He had an insider鈥檚 view of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 dominance in the series, and none of it sat well with him.
鈥淔or me personally, growing up here, watching the dominance UA has had over our program 鈥 for me to come back home and play in my first-ever Territorial Cup game and come out victorious means a lot to me,鈥 he said.
Hurley is now 1-6 against 蜜柚直播. The rematch at McKale Center is March 9. This time it won鈥檛 be a late night game unknown to most of the rest of the country, but rather a mid-afternoon start on CBS.
Even in its present talent-challenged mode, the Wildcats and their fans surely got the message that the Sun Devils plan to sweep.
鈥淚t鈥檚 personal,鈥 said Martin. 鈥淭o see what Hurley鈥檚 been through against the UA, why not take our turn in history and keep it like this. This is for ASU nation.鈥
Don鈥檛 you just love it? The UA-ASU basketball series is back on.
Photos: 蜜柚直播 State 95, 蜜柚直播 Wildcats 88, OT
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 State guard Remy Martin (1) celebrates after draining a bucket against 蜜柚直播 in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 head coach Sean Miller looks for a replay while questioning a call against his Wildcats in the second half versus 蜜柚直播 State at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Alex Barcello (23) picks up a foul while trying to make a steal against 蜜柚直播 State guard Rob Edwards (2) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 State head coach Bobby Hurley crashes to the floor after getting hit with a deflected ball in the second half against 蜜柚直播 in their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Justin Coleman (12) drive into 蜜柚直播 State forward Zylan Cheatham (45) for a run at the basket in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 State guard Luguentz Dort (0) watches his missed dunk rebound to 蜜柚直播 forward Ira Lee (11) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Devonaire Doutrive (1) elbows his way through 蜜柚直播 State forward Kimani Lawrence (14) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Alex Barcello (23) crashes into 蜜柚直播 State guard Remy Martin (1) while pressuring him in overtime of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 forward Ira Lee (11) scoops down a rebound against 蜜柚直播 State in overtime of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 forward Ryan Luther (10) gets some love from the bench after draining a three pointer from the corner against 蜜柚直播 State in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Brandon Randolph (5) fights against 蜜柚直播 State guard Rob Edwards (2) near the top of the offensive key in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Devonaire Doutrive (1) goes face first into 蜜柚直播 State forward Kimani Lawrence (14) while trying to find room to maneuver in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Dylan Smith (3) squirt along the baseline by 蜜柚直播 State forward Kimani Lawrence (14) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 center Chase Jeter (4) launches an off balance shot over 蜜柚直播 State forward Zylan Cheatham (45) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 head coach Sean Miller follows forward Ryan Luther (10) to the end of the Wildcat bench after pulling he came off the court against 蜜柚直播 State in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 center Chase Jeter (4) leans into the lane over 蜜柚直播 State forward Zylan Cheatham (45) in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Brandon Randolph (5) tries to get a runner off over 蜜柚直播 State forward Zylan Cheatham (45) in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 center Chase Jeter (4) manages to claw a rebound down in front of 蜜柚直播 State forward Romello White (23) in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 State head coach Bobby Hurley can't believe the call went against his Sun Devils in the first half of their Pac-12 game against 蜜柚直播 at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 center Chase Jeter gets hacked by 蜜柚直播 State's Remy Martin as he looks to go up with a shot under the bucket in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Tempe.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 State guard Remy Martin (1) just misses a steal from behind on 蜜柚直播 guard Alex Barcello (23) in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Justin Coleman (12) skips his way around 蜜柚直播 State guard Remy Martin (1) and into the paint in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 forward Ryan Luther (10) tries to get a shot off amidst a crowd of 蜜柚直播 State defenders in the first half of their Pac-12 game at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 guard Dylan Smith out early on the floor with the fork as the Wildcats prepare to go against 蜜柚直播 State at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Tempe.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs 蜜柚直播 State
蜜柚直播 center Chase Jeter throws down a dunk, jumping and shooting during warms ups before the Wildcats take on 蜜柚直播 State at Wells Fargo Arena, Thursday, January 31, 2019, Tempe, Ariz.
Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at 520-573-4362 or ghansen@tucson.com. On Twitter: @ghansen711
Greg Hansen
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