Unable to capitalize

After the Wildcats' seven-game winning streak was snapped in a 70-68 loss at ASU, when two final UA possessions failed to produce a score, the blame could have simply been placed on a lack of perimeter defense that allowed the Sun Devils to hit 13 three-pointers at Wells Fargo Arena.

According to forward Jordan Hill, it might have been less intense practices than the Wildcats held before their sweep of USC and UCLA the previous weekend. Or, it could have been a couple of critical calls down the stretch, a foul on him against Jeff Pendergraph and a non-call on his failed layup.

"All I've got to say is you've got to look at the game again," Hill said.

But UA interim head coach Russ Pennell disregarded all that. The Sun Devils, simply put, were the 14th-ranked team in the country and they were hosting the game.

It was also a crazier environment to play in than Pennell, a former ASU assistant and radio color commentator, was used to seeing.

"That's the best atmosphere I've ever seen in Wells Fargo, and I've been in here a few times," Pennell said. "From the opening tip, I could hear it. I could hear it from the locker room before the game started. It was a great college environment."

The atmosphere was so charged that several hundred of the student fans in the over-capacity crowd of 14,123 actually rushed the court after the game, despite the fact that the Sun Devils were seven-point favorites and had won the previous three games of the series.

Maybe they couldn't help it. The last minute of the game, made close only after the UA went on a 23-4 run midway through the second half, produced a high level of tension.

The Wildcats had two final chances to win or tie the game with the score at 70-68. They had the ball with 25 seconds left but after Nic Wise fed Chase Budinger, he dished to Hill, who missed a shot from the right side of the basket and Zane Johnson's follow-up attempt was short.

"The first look was to look for my three but they did a good job of running out on me and I just threw it in to Jordan," Budinger said. "Jordan had a good shot, a shot he normally makes, and we also had a tip-in (attempt) so you couldn't ask for more."

But they actually did get more. After the rebound, ASU's Derek Glasser was fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the UA 5.6 seconds to score. Wise lost the ball at midcourt and ASU recovered before fans spilled on to the court.

Wise said he simply couldn't get the ball past midcourt "and that was it," but Pennell was hoping for more.

"Basically, what we try to do in that situation … is we want him to go as deep as he can, and if he can get to the rim, fine, but we'll have some shooters trailing," Pennell said. "We'll take a two, or even a three, if we get a good look. But it's unfortunate we just couldn't handle the ball cleanly and get it down the floor for a good look."

The loss left Arizona at 18-9 overall and 8-6 in the Pac-10. ASU improved to 21-5 and 10-4, just a half game behind first-place Washington.

It could have been worse for the Wildcats, of course. They trailed 44-34 at halftime, having allowed 10 three-pointers in the first half, and were down by 17 in the second half before going on a 23-4 run over the middle of the second half.

The Sun Devils had kept the Wildcats to just a three-pointer from Kyle Fogg over the first 6:54 of the second half. ASU went on a 10-3 run to take a 54-37 lead on a three-pointer from James Harden during that span.

But the Wildcats came back with their game-changing run and took a 62-60 lead when Jamelle Horne hit a three-pointer with 4:08 left.

But after the UA led 64-62, ASU wing Rihards Kuksiks became hot again. The Latvian native, who shot just 1 for 10 from three-point range against the Wildcats last month at McKale Center, hit two threes to give ASU a 68-66 lead entering the final minute.

Hill then tied it up at 68 on a tip-in with 55 seconds remaining before fouling Pendergraph with 25 seconds left on ASU's next possession. Pendergraph hit both free throws to make it 70-68 and the UA failed to score on its final possessions.

While the end of the game was wildly intense, Hill wondered if the Wildcats could have behaved that way during their long week off after sweeping the Los Angeles schools last week.

"They say you play how you practice," Hill said.

Pennell said he didn't think that was the problem, noting that the practices were just a bit shorter. But now, the Wildcats don't have the option of a longer week.

They have only two full days to prepare for a game at Washington State on Thursday.

"We've got to look toward the next game," Budinger said. "We do have a quick turnaround. We've got to look at all the negatives and positives and just move on."

On StarNet: See more photos from Arizona's game against ASU at azstarnet.com/slideshows

Up next

• What: Arizona at Washington State

• When: 7 p.m. Thursday

• TV: FSAZ

• Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM