Arizona State entered Monday night playing their best stretch of basketball in this season. Three straight wins, including two victories by 20 points or more, had the Sun Devils primed for a rematch against No. 12 UCLA. But lightning couldn’t strike twice in one month, and the Bruins pulled away for a comfortable 66-52 victory.
The Bruins offense was not in full flight without guards Tyger Campbell and Peyton Watson. Defensively, the Sun Devils faced a completely different challenge with Jaylen Clark, the backup to the floor general Campbell, who proved more willing to score and less willing to pass than Campbell.