Before the second game of the Jerry Colangelo Classic on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona State made an elementary mistake by not submitting its lineup on time.

Yet, the Sun Devils’ blunder ended up harmless, as Oklahoma senior guard Nijel Pack missed the ensuing technical free throw.

However, ASU made very few mistakes for the rest of the night, riding an early 27-2 run to a comfortable 86-70 win over the Sooners. 

Saturday marked the Sun Devils’ second win this season over a team that appeared in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the first coming in an 87-86 thriller over Texas in the Maui Invitational.

ASU relied on the long ball once again, connecting on 54% of its 3-point attempts in the win. The Sun Devils improved to 39% on the season from beyond the arc, ranking 26th in the nation in team 3-point percentage.

ASU also featured a more balanced attack than usual in the win.

Senior guards Moe Odum and Anthony “Pig” Johnson led the charge with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Odum also contributed five rebounds and six assists.

Junior forward Andrija Grbovic and sophomore forward Marcus Adams Jr. both knocked down three triples and tallied 11 points each. Down low, graduate forward Allen Mukeba poured in nine points of his own.

Sophomore guard Noah Meeusen was all over the statsheet on Saturday night, finishing with six points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Junior guard Bryce Ford only had two points in the contest, but made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball with five steals. Ford also drilled a heave from beyond half-court to end the first half, but it was eventually waved off after review.

While the Sun Devils caught fire, Oklahoma went ice cold. The Sooners shot 35% from the field on Saturday and went 10-for-36 from three-point range, their worst efficiency from behind the arc since going 6-for-26 against Gonzaga on Nov. 8.

ASU improved to 7-2 on the campaign and received votes in the AP Poll for the first time this season on Monday, Dec. 8. 

The two votes came from Randy Heitz, who works in sports radio in Oklahoma City and is an Oklahoma alum.

This week, the Sun Devils open up a two-game slate by welcoming an in-state rival to Desert Financial Arena. Northern Arizona makes the short trip from Flagstaff to clash with ASU on Tuesday, Dec. 9. 

Picked to finish last in the Big Sky preseason poll, the Lumberjacks currently sit at 4-4 and remain winless on the road this season

Sophomore forward Zack Davidson leads NAU, who is averaging 15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds a game this season. 

The Lumberjacks already visited Tucson this season, falling 84-49 to powerhouse Arizona. The 8-0 Wildcats jumped into the top spot in this week’s AP Poll.

After the pit stop at home, the Sun Devils hit the road for a neutral-site tilt with Santa Clara in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 13. 

The two teams are meeting up in Vegas for the second year in a row, as ASU bested the Broncos 81-74 last season.

Santa Clara is off to an impressive 8-2 start, picking up double-digit wins over 2025 tournament teams McNeese and Xavier and Big Ten squad Minnesota.

Both the Sun Devils and the Broncos faced Utah Tech this season and produced similar results. ASU defeated the Trailblazers 81-66 on Nov. 9, while Santa Clara prevailed 90-80 on Dec. 3.

Sophomore guard Christian Hammond leads the Broncos with 17.2 points per game. Hammond has also scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games, tallying 20 in the Minnesota win and 22 in Santa Clara’s 98-71 loss to New Mexico on Saturday, Dec. 6.

While the Sun Devils have found an identity from beyond the arc, the Broncos defend the 3-point line well. Santa Clara’s opponents have shot under 30% from long range against the Broncos this season.

With victories over NAU and Santa Clara, ASU can continue to build a strong non-conference resume to both raise its confidence entering Big 12 play and improve its case for a tournament bid come March.