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Arizona State Sun Devils lose cool, then the lead in costly home loss to UCLA

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Arizona State Sun Devils lose cool, then the lead in costly home loss to UCLA


Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley is rarely at a loss for words. Wednesday night was one of those rare occasions, at least when it came to addressing the only topic anyone wanted to talk about.

The Sun Devils lost to UCLA 68-66 in a Pac-12 game at Desert Financial Arena. It wasn’t that they lost. It was how they lost that had Hurley fuming after the game, although he wouldn’t lash out quite like he wanted to.

The Sun Devils (10-7, 4-2), who started the night in second place, right behind Oregon in the conference standings, were called for four second-half technical fouls and a flagrant. ASU’s Shawn Phillips, a 7-foot-center, was ejected after two technicals at the 10:10 mark of the second half in what proved to be the turning point of the contest.

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“I’d like to say how I really feel but I won’t. I’m not going to say how I really feel,” Hurley fumed after the game, no doubt alluding to any criticism of the officiating would lead to a lofty fine at the least.

More college basketball news: Arizona’s Final Four will have Super Bowl-level fan entertainment options

“So I am just going to start out by saying that when you look at the stat sheet, proud of my team’s shooting percentages, from 3, from 2 against a very good defensive team against a team that is starting to find itself. Had six turnovers compared to their 11. That’s all I’m going to say. Really.”

ASU’s biggest lead was 13 points early in the second half.

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The Bruins (8-10, 3-4) had whittled that lead to 49-43 when the fireworks started. ASU’s Adam Miller was called for a hard foul on UCLA’s Lazar Stefanovic who was driving toward the bucket. With Stefanovic sprawled out under the basket words were said by Phillips who was assessed a technical, then quickly given another resulting in his departure.

Arizona State unravels

UCLA’s Adem Bona was called for a technical as well, which offset one of the ASU technicals.

When order was restored Stefanvic went to the line and made all four shots to cut the deficit to 49-47.

UCLA then got the ball on the next possession and Will McClendon nailed a 3-pointer to give the Bruins their first lead of the game at 50-49.

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“I am happy with everything that happened on the basketball court besides the free-throw line,” Hurley said. “No one wanted to explain anything to me. I had to ask them to explain what happened but I’m tired of the explanations. I’m just not going to talk about it any more.

“We just tried to hold it together. Some responsbility certainly lies with our guys. In a heated game I’m sure there’s a lot of communication,” he added. “And we’re the bad guys. So now we’re the bad guys. You’ll never see a bad guy like us again. But that’s what we were tonight. We we were the bad guys. I’m sure no one else said anything except us. All night.”

It was a tight contest the rest of the way.

Then with 3:50 left and ASU up 60-56, ASU’s Jamiya Neal was called for a personal foul and then assessed a technical foul. The damage could have been worse there as UCLA made just two of four tries to keep ASU leading 60-58.

Bryant Selebangue got the last technical almost just minute and a half later, after a battle for a rebound on the UCLA end. Stefanovic made both free throws for a 62-60 lead.

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Sun Devils make one last push

But ASU was not done. ASU regained the lead with 2:04 to play on a 3-pointer by Frankie Collins, only to have UCLA answer on its end of the floor with a bucket by Sebastian Mack that gave the visitors a 64-63 lead with 1:12 to go. They hung on from there.

The barrage of technical fouls was a big reason for the disparity in free throws as UCLA made 17 of 23 tries while ASU made 9 of 14.

“The refs told us not to say a word and we’re still talking. Just trying to tell him (Selebangue) this is a critical moment. You can’t do that,” Collins said.

Collins and Miller each scored 16, while Neal added 13 and Jose Perez 12 as the Sun Devils shot 42.6% (23-for-54) from the field. That’s including an 11-for-27 from deep.

UCLA, which started two freshmen and two sophomores after significant roster overhaul, got 18 from Stefanovich and 13 from Brandon Williams, with the Bruins shooting 47.8% (22-for-46). It also won the rebounding battle 33-27. Bona had nine points, six rebounds and seven blocks before fouling out.

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It marked the first loss at home for ASU, which had been 7-0 at home so far this season. More importantly, it’s a result that means ASU will lose further ground in trying to advance its cause for a postseason bid. Not only does it still need some quality wins, it could not afford to lose to an opponent with a losing record, particularly at home.

ASU now has to regroup for Saturday’s noon game against USC (8-10, 2-5) which lost to Arizona 82-67 in Tucson Wednesday night. The Trojans are playing without three injured starters.

ASU lost both regular season games with USC a year ago but defeated the Trojans in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal.



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How to stay safe on Arizona roadways

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How to stay safe on Arizona roadways


Chef Stephen Jones of The Larder & the Delta is moving Southern cuisine into the fine dining space in a multi-course fancy and fun culinary experience. Jones has been a prominent name in the Phoenix food scene for more than a decade, creating friendships and mentoring young chefs but he almost left Arizona after his first summer here. Learn how a meeting with Chef Mark Tarbell of Tarbell’s changed his future and how you can attend his multi-course dinner, brunch, family style dinners, or hang in the bar for drinks and snacks.



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Military Assistance Mission supports Arizona service members and their families

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Military Assistance Mission supports Arizona service members and their families


For U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Dillon Albrechtsen, service is a calling.

“I’ve fallen in love with service. I wake up each morning and I know I can take care of myself, but at the end of the day, there are things that need to be done. There are higher callings and there are challenging things that only certain individuals can take care of,” said Sgt. Albrechtsen.

That being said, when the Mesa native fell on tough times, it was hard to swallow his pride and ask for help.

“It’s definitely a challenge, because in the Marine Corps, specifically, they tell you that you can do anything. You are capable of being given a mission and seeing it through, and Marines, our biggest assets are the Marines to our left and our right. But it’s very hard to be selfish because we’re so often focused on being selfless towards others,” Sgt. Albrechtsen explained.

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However, he was able to turn to the Military Assistance Mission, or MAM, for help. The organization provides financial assistance to military families in Arizona.

“Military Assistance Mission literally let us stay in our home, our little apartment. And like I said, I had a baby on the way, and it was just a rough period. Work was slowing down. Things were going to pick up, but she was able to lift such a huge weight off my back because I didn’t know how I was going to pay rent that next coming month,” Sgt. Albrechtsen recalled.

“Murphy’s law happens to any of us, civilians or military. It can be, you know, downright excruciating. The nerves and the stress and all of that to make sure the bills are paid. Happens to all of us and it really happens to them and so we need to be there for them. We as civilians, because we get to enjoy our freedoms because of them,” said Margy Bons, the founder of Military Assistance Mission.

Bons is a Gold Star mom who started MAM after her son Michael Marzano, a marine, was killed in action in 2005.

His death left her determined to help.

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“I realized that there was another mom who had a son or a daughter in uniform, and they may have the same need like my son had. And that’s why it’s important for me to make sure that I can help with that need. That’s what my son would want,” said Bons.

After receiving help from MAM, Sgt. Albrechtsen is now paying it forward by helping the organization.

“I’ve been able to be in contact with some other individuals who said, ‘Hey, I took military assistance mission up, and they’ve been able to help me with x, y, z,’ and it’s been so nice to know that my story has been able to help others,” Sgt. Albrechtsen said.

He says it’s important to let other service members and their families know that the help is there for them, especially around the holidays.

“It’s supposed to be a time of comfort. It’s supposed to be a time of family and joy and giving, but when you have something weighing you down, it’s hard to disconnect from the problems of life and to relax,” Sgt. Albrechtsen explained.

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Military Assistance Mission is one of five charities that benefit from ABC15’s annual holiday donation drive, Operation Santa Claus.

If you’re interested in donating, head to GivetotheClaus.com.





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Cardinals OL Reacts to Scoring Rare TD

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Cardinals OL Reacts to Scoring Rare TD


GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals finally found victory again in 30-17 fashion over the New England Patriots in Week 15.

One play stood above all in their win at State Farm Stadium, however.

OL Jonah Williams, who hustled from the other side of the field, recovered a Greg Dortch fumble in the end zone to score the game’s first touchdown.

It was a play that could have made the difference between a win or loss, and afterwards he spoke with reporters about the play in the locker room:

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“I was pulling around for a linebacker and sort of blocked him, and then saw the corner out of my eye the ball come out and just mad-dashed to try to get on it. Didn’t really realize what happened till after, when Paris [Johnson] told me I scored a touchdown,” he said.

Williams was actually questionable ahead of game time due to illness but ended up playing.

The play was very close for Williams, who was just inches away from landing out of bounds when he recovered the ball in the end zone.

“Yeah, I was very worried about that. That’s why I wasn’t really sure what happened till after, it was like did I go out? But I guess I didn’t,” he said.

Williams also told reporters the ball would be painted and he’d put in on display somewhere in his house.

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You never truly know what’s going to happen on an NFL football field, and Sunday’s win in Arizona was just the latest evidence of that.



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