Arizona State routs Chaminade

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

LAHAINA, Maui — In a bright-and-early morning game fit more for roosters than basketball players, Arizona State gave Chaminade a rude awakening yesterday.

A crowd of about 300 saw Chaminade lose its 29th straight in the tournament. Chaminade's last win was in 1992 when it beat Stanford 71-63 in double overtime.

"We came out flat," Chaminade guard Kashif Reyes said. "We didn't do the little things. We didn't hustle. It showed in the first half when we dug ourselves a hole and we couldn't get out."

Freshman center Ike Diogu scored a game-high 19 points to lead five Sun Devils (2-1) in double figures. Forward Leon Ballard and guard Jerry Wells each scored 15 for Chaminade (0-3).

The Silverswords, who lost to Virginia on Monday, will play Massachusetts for seventh place today at 2 p.m., while the Sun Devils, who were beaten by Kentucky, will play Utah for fifth place today at 9 a.m.

"I thought Arizona State's guards were pretty darn good," said Chaminade coach Aaron Griess, who praised the Sun Devils' 63 percent field goal percentage. "I think we had tougher matchups against Arizona State than we had against Virginia."

The Sun Devils did most of their damage in the first half with Diogu and forwards Tommy Smith and Jamal Hill leading the way. The three players combined to score 14 of Arizona State's first 20 points, while the Silverswords' Ballard scored his team's first eight points.

"I was pretty proud of our basketball team for the focus they had," Arizona State coach Rob Evans said. "It's a difficult assignment for these guys coming in this morning after a difficult ballgame (against Kentucky)."

The Silversword offense went cold in the first half with several scoreless streaks, including two four-minute droughts. With 8 minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the first half, Arizona State went on a 25-2 run to grab a 56-22 halftime lead.

"Coach told us in the locker room, only one team leaves this tournament undefeated," said Arizona State's Smith, who finished with 12 points. "We want to be one of the teams that only have one loss. Kentucky is over with. We just have to win the next two and look to the next game."

Arizona State's tough man-to-man defense, particularly the play of Smith, contributed to Chaminade's offensive woes. Smith blocked five shots in the first half.

One of the few bright spots in the game for Chaminade was the return of second-team Pacific West Conference guard Reyes. The senior was playing in his first game in the tournament since spraining his left ankle Friday. He played three minutes and did not score.

The Silverswords showed their frustration in the second half. With 16:44 left to play, Chaminade forward Mike Donegan, one of the team's best players and defenders, was ejected from the game after pushing Arizona State's Kyle Dodd at midcourt.

About two minutes later, with Chaminade trailing, 68-34, Chaminade forward Michael Ross fouled out, leaving the Silverswords with a four-guard lineup and Ballard.

With the smaller lineup, Chaminade outscored Arizona State the rest of the way, 38-33, but lacked the inside presence of Donegan and Ross on defense.

With Chaminade's defense vulnerable, the 6-foot Dodd, one of the Sun Devils' smallest players, attacked the basket, scoring off a breakaway dunk for a 71-38 lead with 13:11 left to play.

Arizona State played without senior guard Curtis Millage, its leading returning scorer, because of academic ineligibility. Millage was expected to play in his first game this season today.