No. 7 Arizona blows out Arizona State

TUCSON – Not many teams would've beaten No. 7 Arizona on Sunday.

The Wildcats were coming off their only loss of the season, a setback that occurred 12 days ago at UNLV. That gave coach Sean Miller time on the practice court, time to make changes, and he did, changing his starting lineup for the first time this season, a move that challenged the Wildcats' focus.

At the same time, Arizona State didn't help its cause, falling 73-49 at the McKale Center in the Pac-12 opener for both schools. Coach Herb Sendek's group was coming off its best two outings of the season – also the result of lineup changes – but whatever confidence the Sun Devils had bled out early, swept away in a flood of turnovers.

It's one conference game, far too early to draw conclusions. But this Arizona State team can't seem to shake its turnover habit, and 14 games into the season, that doesn't bode well. Entering Sunday's contest, the Sun Devils were turning over the ball on 21.2 percent of their possessions, worst among Pac-12 teams. Against Arizona, they opened by turning it over 13 times in their first 28 possessions.

Overall, Arizona State finished with a season-high 22 turnovers. Arizona scored 21 points off those mistakes, which is a death blow in most cases, but almost always in conference action. The Wildcats improved to 13-1, while the Sun Devils dropped to 8-6.

Arizona wasn't always sharp, but they played with a different energy. Miller started sophomore forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson over freshman Stanley Johnson and sophomore guard Elliott Pitts over junior Gabe York. In the end, this was probably done to get everyone's attention, and in that sense, it worked.

The Wildcats were relentless defensively, challenging shots, pressuring ball-handlers and keeping Arizona State junior center Eric Jacobsen from catching the ball in the post. Offensively, the Wildcats were poised and efficient, shooting 51 percent from the field and 16 of 19 from the foul line.

Johnson – who had committed seven turnovers in the UNLV loss – played under control, contributing 13 points and six rebounds. Hollis-Jefferson added 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Even when it held on to the ball, Arizona State struggled offensively, particularly in the second half. Sophomore forward Savon Goodman – so effective since he became eligible Dec. 16 – never got going because of foul trouble, finishing with two points and three rebounds in 19 minutes. Junior guard Gerry Blakes – moved to point guard two weeks ago – had nine points and eight turnovers.