Tempe, AZ – The number 23 had a special meaning on Thursday night in Tempe because of the effort of two Sun Devil Basketball players. Ruslan Pateev, who wears jersey number 23, had his best game of the season with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in 26 minutes on the floor. The other number 23 belonged to Evan Gordon. Gordon dropped a team leading 23 points on Cal with a variety of shots from all over the court. As a result, the Sun Devils (18-5 / 7-3 Pac-12) defeated the Cal Bears (13-9 / 5-5 Pac-12) at home 66-62.
Ruslan Pateev finished the night with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.
ASU was in complete control from the opening tip and led by 10 points at halftime. Cal hit some shots at the end to make it close, but ASU was able to wind down the clock and hit their free throws to seal the deal. Jahii Carson finished with 12 points.
The leadership, confidence and production by Gordon has become one of the staples for this Sun Devil Basketball team. Like Carson, he takes so much pressure off his teammates by hitting shots, but is also an effective facilitator. If he continues his pace, ASU will be in great shape the rest of the season.
Next up, the Sun Devils face Stanford at home on Saturday, February 9th at 5:00 PM.
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