SEATTLE — Another chance for Washington to prove its validity was also another moment where the flaws of No. 25 Arizona State were shown.
Perhaps it time the Huskies started to get a bit of the recognition as the surprise of the Pac-12.
Noah Dickerson scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, David Crisp had three key baskets in the final five minutes, and Washington knocked off No. 25 Arizona State 68-64 on Thursday night.
The Huskies (16-6, 6-3 Pac-12) continue to defy their preseason expectations when they were picked to finish 10th in the conference. There’s still plenty of time for the Huskies to falter, but their late-game performances are more reminiscent of a team bound for the postseason.
The most recent example came in the final minutes against the Sun Devils when Dickerson and Crisp combined to score 12 of Washington’s final 16 points. Dickerson was dominant on the interior all night, and Crisp found ways to split the defense and get to the basket in the closing moments to help the Huskies win their third straight.
“You hope that all the training that you give your guys and the mindset is going to go out there and do it. And we did it,” Washington coach Mike Hopkins said. “We made our foul shots down the stretch. We took away the 3-point shot. Guys stepped up and made big plays.”
Crisp finished with 12 points, while Jaylen Nowell added 15 points and nine rebounds. Dickerson carried the Huskies in the first half and had 13 points and 11 rebounds before the break.
“I see all the work he’s put in and he’s just a real ambitious guy and he’s always looking to get better,” Crisp said of Dickerson. “As you can see he’s worked day in and day out.”
But the Huskies got little contributions from everyone. Matisse Thybulle finished with six steals and hit three 3-pointers despite being sick. Dominic Green hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to clinch the victory. And Sam Timmins made one of the biggest plays forcing a turnover by deflecting Mickey Mitchell’s pass in the final seconds when Arizona State was unable to get a shot off trailing 66-64.
Kodi Justice led Arizona State (16-6, 4-6) with 16 points, but the Sun Devils were just 5 of 19 on 3-point shooting. The 64 points were a season-low for the Sun Devils. Shannon Evans II added 13 points but was 1 of 7 on 3-pointers. Tra Holder finished with 12.
The Sun Devils were just 1 of 10 on 3s in the first and their 5 of 19 performance overall from deep was second-worst this season.
“You can’t play this come from behind style, especially on the road,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. “You put so much energy into getting this lead, but games are won and lost at all different parts of the game.”
After a miserable first half, the Sun Devils quickly made it a game in the opening moments of the second half. A 12-2 run pulled Arizona State even at 39-all, but the Sun Devils didn’t take their first lead until Justice’s 3-pointer with 7:28 remaining to go ahead 51-50.
Crisp made his biggest offensive contributions in the final minutes, twice splitting a potential double-team and scoring in the lane. Dickerson added a basket to give the Huskies a 66-62 lead, but Holder’s driving basket with 59 seconds left pulled the Sun Devils within two.
Washington went to Nowell, but he was called for an offensive foul with 36.5 seconds left giving the ball back to the Sun Devils. Arizona State was unable to get a shot off on the ensuing possession as a scattered offensive set led to Timmins deflecting Mitchell’s pass. Green’s free throws put the game away.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona State: It was the fifth straight week the Sun Devils have lost the first game of a two-game weekend set in conference play. Arizona State previously lost at Colorado, at home to Oregon, at Stanford and home against to Utah to open the weekend. Each time the Sun Devils have rebounded to win the second-game of the set.
Washington: Thybulle moved into first place on the school’s single-season steals record after grabbing six steals. He now has 70 on the season, topping the previous record of 67 held by Bryant Boston. … Dickerson’s 16 rebounds were his second-most this season. He had a career-high 22 in a November win over Eastern Washington.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils are at Washington State on Sunday.
The Huskies host No. 9 Arizona on Saturday.
