Arizona State is coming off a bounce-back win over visiting Texas Southern after losing decisively to Mississippi State in the season opener at a neutral court in Chicago, but coach Bobby Hurley is not pleased.
The Sun Devils (1-1) will try to improve against UMass Lowell (3-0) on Thursday night in Tempe, Ariz.
The River Hawks will seek a second straight upset of a power-conference opponent after winning 74-71 at Georgia Tech on Tuesday.
Arizona State led Texas Southern for 36 of the 40 minutes in a 63-52 win on Saturday.
Hurley was not happy with his team shooting 36.8 percent from the field with many attempts missed around the basket and a 15-for-28 performance from the free-throw line.
“Usually after a win, we’re happier,” Hurley said. “I didn’t feel like the locker room overall was very pleased with what we just did even though we won.
“That’s what I hope to see because I don’t want that to be the standard. It’s unacceptable for us to do some of the things we did statistically in this game and have any expectation of beating an elite opponent that’s in our future.”
Arizona State’s Frankie Collins, Kamari Lands and Jamiya Neal combined for 35 points but shot 11 of 29 from the field.
Collins finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, all team highs.
UMass Lowell earned only its second win against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent when it beat the Yellow Jackets. The school’s first victory over an ACC foe happened against Boston College on Dec. 6, 2015.
The River Hawks are 3-0 for the first time since they became a Division I program in 2013-14.
“Obviously, it was a great win for our program,” UMass Lowell coach Pat Duquette said. “I’m proud of our guys. It didn’t come easy. It was a battle.”
UMass Lowell, led by Ayinde Hikim’s 24 points, held off a late comeback by Georgia Tech.
The River Hawks’ 10-point lead with just over four minutes to play was erased by an 11-1 Yellow Jackets run.
Cam Morris III converted a three-point play to put UMass Lowell in front 72-69 with 1:04 to go, and Georgia Tech responded with a basket.
The Yellow Jackets had the ball with 18 seconds left, down by one, but a block by Max Brooks with three seconds remaining helped secure the win.
–Field Level Media
