However, the Mountaineers finally found success on the road in an atmosphere that Arizona State (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) head coach Bobby Hurley is not fond of.

“We have not played well here in years,” Hurley said. “It’s a sterile environment. We don't win here.”

That statement rang true on Wednesday when West Virginia (13-6, 4-2 Big 12) rode a second-half rally to a 75-63 win over the Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.

Senior forward Treysen Eaglestaff led the charge for the Mountaineers with 23 points and seven rebounds. Eaglestaff went a blazing 6-for-8 from behind the arc, the fifth time he has hit 6-plus threes in a single game in his college career.

After ASU opened up a 26-13 lead to start the game, West Virginia coach Ross Hodge depended on Eaglestaff to keep the Mountaineers close.

“Eaglestaff was huge in the first half,” Hodge said, “keeping us afloat when we were really, really struggling.”

While Eaglestaff stayed hot in the back half of the contest, his supporting cast began pulling more weight. In particular, senior forward Brenen Lorient was vital down the stretch, pouring in 11 of his 15 points in the second half.

West Virginia’s defense has been its calling card all year, and Wednesday was no different. The Mountaineers held the Sun Devils to a season-low 63 points and let up only 26 points in the second frame.

West Virginia especially limited the perimeter offense of ASU in the second half, as the Sun Devils were unable to make a three after halftime despite going 5-for-10 from distance in the first half.

With the defeat, ASU dropped its third in a row and fell to 1-5 in Big 12 play, leaving Hurley questioning the focus of his team.

“There isn’t a commitment to listening,” Hurley said. “My voice is not working.”

Sun Devils sophomore forward Santiago Trouet echoed Hurley’s comments.

“We need to be more alert to everything that’s going on…and execute,” Trouet said. “If you don’t execute in the Big 12, you’re not going to win.”

Execution was also an issue at the charity stripe for ASU, as it went 10-for-18 from the foul line on Wednesday.

The energy in the arena was at its peak after the Sun Devils followed up a 9-0 run with a 10-2 run and extended their early advantage to 13.

The fast start for ASU was catalyzed by freshman center Massamba Diop, who poured in eight of the Sun Devils’ first 16 points in the contest.

Diop’s efficiency came to a halt past that point, as the young big man only tallied six points for the rest of the night. It was the second game in a row that Diop was unable to score 15 points after reaching the mark in eight straight games.

West Virginia’s slow pace also played a huge factor in icing the game for the Mountaineers, as the Sun Devils only got 10 shots off in the final 10 minutes of the game.

The low amounts of possessions for both sides on Wednesday are on brand for West Virginia, a team that ranks last among all Power Four teams in possessions per game at 66.5.

The road trip won’t get any easier for West Virginia, as it prepares to make the trip south to face No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Wildcats are 19-0 and are just one of three teams in the nation that currently hold an undefeated record.

ASU will be back in action on Saturday as well when it hosts Cincinnati in a game that almost feels like a must-win for the Sun Devils’ tourney hopes against a Bearcats team that finds itself near the bottom of the Big 12 standings.

However, the first order of business for Hurley and ASU will surely start within its own locker room.

“We failed. I’m failing,” Hurley said. “I can’t get through to the team, so I don’t know what else I can say.”