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No. 18 Arizona beats No. 16 ASU 59-53 for first season sweep in 20 years

Posted at 10:02 PM, Jan 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-25 00:40:50-05

TUCSON, Ariz — Aari McDonald scored 24 points including a near half court buzzer beater just before halftime as the 18th ranked Wildcats knocked off 16th ranked ASU, 59-53, in front of more than ten thousand fans at McKale Center.

The Wildcats were down 23-17 in the final seconds of the second quarter when McDonald, who also recorded 11 rebounds, banked in the long-range shot which gave them momentum going into the second half. Sam Thomas added 13 points, three steals, and three blocked shots.

It was the first meeting between the two schools as ranked teams. It's the first time Arizona has swept the regular season series from ASU since 2000, and it's the first time the Wildcats have won three straight conference games in nine years.

The Sun Devils Robbi Ryan led all scorers with 25 points.