Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: Analysis and Commentary

In a tale of two halves, the Arizona State Sun Devils were able to eke out a win against the Oregon Ducks in Tempe, Arizona despite a huge second-half push from the Ducks that erased a 20-point halftime deficit.

After being held scoreless in the first, Oregon's Joseph Young came out swinging for 29 second-half points. It just wasn't quite enough. A last-second layup from Young would have sent the game to overtime, but Arizona State's Jordan Bachynski (26 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks) swatted it away to ensure a Sun Devils' win.

It was a fitting end to the game for Bachynski, who holds the Pac-12 record in career blocks and almost had a triple-double. However, it was his play in the first half that really put the Ducks on their heels. He put up 18 points and five rebounds by halftime, which almost eclipsed Oregon's first-half point total.

The Ducks can't seem to put a full game together, which is why they've lost 10 out of their last 12 games and their postseason ambitions are in jeopardy. 

They have a tough schedule coming up, but there are still plenty of tournament-worthy opportunities for Oregon to pounce on.

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have won five out of their last six and are still an NCAA tournament bubble team thanks to their inside-outside play. This win launches them into sole ownership of third place in the Pac-12 and a potential bye in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.

A few more wins for the Sun Devils and maybe a victory in Tempe this Friday against Arizona might be enough for their NCAA tournament resume.