Arizona State routs Nevada to win First Four game

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DJ Horne had 20 points and Arizona State raced to a big halftime lead and finished with the highest point total in a First Four game, burying Nevada 98-73 on Wednesday night.

Arizona State (23-12) led 53-26 at the half and kept scoring in the second on the way to the rout.

The first-half output was a season high for Arizona State, which advanced as a No. 11 seed to face TCU in a West Region first-round game on Friday in Denver.

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Arizona State's Desmond Cambridge Jr. (4) and Nevada's Trey Pettigrew (3) go for a loose ball during the first half of a First Four college basketball game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Dayton, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

"It was a complete performance for us. You want to be playing this way at this time of year," Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. "That’s what it’s all about. I truly believe that our schedule and the games we’ve been in, especially late in the season, prepares you for these types of games. And it was across the board, just everyone contributed. Our defense was outstanding in the first half."

Arizona State hit 67.7% of its shots from the floor and forced 10 turnovers in the first half, putting together a 22-2 run over eight minutes to pull away, meanwhile keeping the defensive pressure on and forcing the Wolf Pack to the perimeter.

"I think when we get off to starts like that, it just feeds on to everybody on the team and builds energy, and I feel like it showed tonight," Horne said.

The Sun Devils shot a stunning 64% from the floor, much better than their season average of 41.3%. They