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Arizona State dominated Nevada in their First Four matchup 98-73 on Wednesday to book a ticket to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils, the No. 11 seed in the West Region, will take on the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs on Friday night.
ASU (23-12) was nearly impossible to stop from start to finish, jumping out to an early lead, and they were already up 53-26 at halftime. They shot 67.7% from the field in the first half and finished at 63.6% to seal the blowout.
The Sun Devils also took care of the basketball in the first half with just one turnover before committing six in the second half. Nevertheless, they were just too hot to handle for the Wolf Pack (22-11), especially DJ Horne, who scored 20 points to lead Arizona State.
Meanwhile, Nevada didn't have a bad game offensively. They still shot 48.1% and made 11 3-point shots, the same as Arizona State. It was the Wolf Pack's poor defense in the paint that really made the game easier for the Sun Devils.
ASU coach Bobby Hurley said that the win was the Sun Devils' best performance of the season. Hurley praised his players for doing a great job on both sides of the floor.
"It was a complete performance for us," Hurley said. "You want to be playing this way at this time of year. That's what it’s all about. I truly believe that our schedule and the games we've been in, especially late in the season, prepare you for these types of games.
"And it was across the board, just everyone contributed. Our defense was outstanding in the first half."
Fans on social media quickly jumped on Nevada for their poor performance against ASU. Others were excited for the Sun Devils' matchup with TCU (21-12), but some thought that North Carolina (20-13) could have done a better job than the Wolf Pack.
Here are some of the best comments on Twitter:
TCU vs. Arizona State preview
No. 6 TCU will take on No. 11 Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. TCU is the favorite to advance to the second round.
The Horned Frogs are looking to ride on the shoulders of Mike Miles Jr., who has been their best player this season. Miles is averaging 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have a respectable defense that could surprise TCU. Their shooting has been inconsistent all season long, but they could also stay hot for Friday's matchup.
