The championship game was set following a hard-fought two days of action between the teams in the Southwest Maui Invitational. Arizona State University and the University of Southern California were the last teams standing, and both were looking to take home the Wayne Duke trophy.
To reach this point, ASU triumphed over two strong programs in Texas and Washington State, while USC advanced after beating Boise State and Seton Hall. This set the stage for an exciting matchup and a fitting conclusion to this iconic tournament.
With both teams stalemated at 43 at half, it was still anybody's game, and it was going to come down to whoever wanted it more. Back and forth they went, but the 16-minute mark is when the momentum started to shift in favor of the Trojans.
USC’s graduate guard/forward Chad Baker-Mazara made a big three-pointer to put the Trojans up five, as they began to pull away. Making shots and getting stops, USC turned out to be too much to handle as the lead continued to swell.
The Sun Devils fought hard and made it into a two-point game with about eleven minutes left, but Baker-Mazara answered back right away with a jumper of his own and took over the game.
ASU’s deficit continued to grow due to poor play on both sides of the ball, leading to the final score of 88-75, dropping the championship game.
The Sun Devils didn't have the firepower and were unable to keep up the energy for a full 40 minutes, which cost them in the end. ASU shot 42% which is below its season average, while they allowed USC to shoot a very sharp 60%.
The contrasts in shooting percentages were certainly a factor in the outcome for the Sun Devils, but another outlier was senior guard Moe Odum, who only scored 17 on 4-12 shooting.
Odum has been the team's leader in this young season so far, and in the first two games of this tournament, he has been averaging over 30 points a game. So, to have a shot in the game, ASU certainly expected more from him.
As the team's primary scorer, the Trojans made stopping him a point of emphasis and forced him to pass and create plays for his teammates. This incredible defensive effort forced him into taking deep shots and making errant passes.
Although it was a tough game for Odom individually, as a team, the Sun Devils were outrebounded and weren't physical enough. Losing the rebound battle allowed USC second opportunities and let it control the pace of the game.
The offensive rebounds led to dominance in the paint, where the Trojans outscored ASU 42-26 and tested the physicality and strength of both teams.
Through everything, USC proved that they are the better team, and why they are a perfect 8-0 on the season. While the Sun Devils will drop to 6-2, they showed a lot of promise during their time in Hawaii.
Although ASU didn't leave Maui the way it hoped, it still showed that it can compete with higher-profile schools on a national stage.