Tulsa starts slow, falls to Sun Devils, 69-59, in Tempe

Golden Hurricane can't overcome poor first half

Ty Abbott knocked down seven three-pointers and tallied a game-high 25 points to help lead Arizona State to a 69-59 victory over Tulsa on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Sun Devils (9-7) shot a scorching 55 percent to build a commanding 45-25 halftime lead. They extended their advantage to 23 with just under 16 minutes to play, but Tulsa wouldn't roll over.

The Golden Hurricane (8-8) limited ASU to just 25 percent from the floor after the break and got the deficit into single digits when it pulled within 59-50 with 4:59 to play. However, nine was as close as Wojcik's club would get as the Sun Devils hit free throws down the stretch.

Abbott, the game's leading scorer, also pulled down nine boards and dished out five assists. Carrick Felix, who finished with 21, was the only other Sun Devil to score in double figures.

Guard Justin Hurtt went just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc, but still managed to lead the Golden Hurricane with 17 points. Scottie Haralson and Steven Idlet each finished with 11. Guard Bryson Pope grabbed a game-high 11 boards and helped Tulsa to a 41-33 advantage on the glass.

The Golden Hurricane shot just 39 percent for the game--including 4-of-21 from beyond the arc. They also went just 9-of-16 at the charity stripe.