Glasser scores 24 points, Sun Devils dominate on defense in 71-52 win over LSU

Glasser, shutdown D help ASU beat LSU 71-52 in NIT

NEW YORK — Derek Glasser scored a career-high 24 points, Eric Boateng added 17 and Arizona State used its suffocating zone defense to beat LSU 71-52 on Friday in the consolation game of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

The Sun Devils (5-1) trailed 34-27 at halftime before locking down, forcing the Tigers (3-2) to miss 15 of their first 17 shots out of the break. Tasmin Mitchell and Storm Warren were the only players to score from the field for LSU in the second half until a 3-pointer by Chris Beattle in the closing seconds.

After shooting 60 percent over the first 20 minutes, the Tigers were held to 5 of 25 from the field in the second half. They also turned the ball over 13 times against a 2-3 zone defense that’s basically designed to allow offenses to pass it freely around the perimeter.

Then again, the Sun Devils have allowed fewer than 62 points per game each of the past three seasons under coach Herb Sendek. Last season’s team allowed 60.5, the best mark by Arizona State since 1949-50 season.

Mitchell finished with 17 points and Warren had 13 for the Tigers, who got only the three points from Beattle off the bench. Former walk-on Zach Kinsley added 14 points.

LSU played without leading scorer Bo Spencer, who sprained his right ankle in LSU’s 81-55 semifinal loss to No. 13 Connecticut. Spencer spent the game sitting on the bench in warmups.

Things got so frustrating for LSU coach Trent Johnson that he spent most of the second half sitting on the scorer’s table with his arms folded across his chest. Maybe because his team wasn’t listening to him, Johnson instead decided to start yelling at the officials, drawing a technical foul with just over 3 minutes left.

The outcome was even more surprising considering the Tigers threatened to put away Arizona State early, taking a 29-20 lead on a 3-pointer and three free throws by Kinsley in a span of three possessions. But with sharpshooter Rihards Kuksiks and Ty Abbott on the bench in foul trouble, the Sun Devils put together a 7-0 spurt to whittle the lead to two.

Mitchell answered with his fifth field goal of the first half, and Kinsley made his third 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Tigers a 34-27 lead at the break.

The Sun Devils lost Abbott for the rest of the game with about 15 minutes left when he appeared to get poked in the eye jumping for a loose ball. He let out a scream and immediately fell to the floor, where he lay face down while play continued. Abbott eventually was helped to the locker room, still holding his hand over his left eye.

The injury coincided with Arizona State’s big second-half surge. Fueled almost entirely by defense, the 9-0 run gave the Sun Devils a 40-38 lead — their first since the opening minutes of the game — and sent them on their way.

No. 7 Duke beat No. 13 Connecticut 68-59 in the championship game.