ASU Sun Devils Beat Oregon State Beavers 76-66 Despite Losing Trent Lockett To Rolled Ankle

Things did not progress quite the way that ASU fans would have expected on Saturday against the Oregon St. Beavers. Though the Sun Devils earned their second victory in Pac-12 play by night's end, they also watched star player Trent Lockett leave the court with a rolled right ankle.

Lockett played the role of facilitator in the first half, dishing out five assists and keeping his teammates engaged. Ruslan Pateev and Chanse Creekmur bolstered most of ASU's early scoring load, and the early hot streak turned out to be a sign of things to come for Creekmur, who hit six-of-seven three-pointers on the night to lead all scores with 24 points.

Despite ASU's impressive first half shooting (56%), the team entered halftime down 34-31. Lockett, however, powered an early second half surge by moving the ball and scoring. The Sun Devils went on a 12-2 run to take a 50-41 lead with 10:11 left before Lockett rolled his right ankle. After landing awkwardly on an opponent's foot, Lockett cringed on the floor. He was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair and was later seen on crunches.

Even with Lockett gone, the Sun Devils finished what Lockett started with continued offensive production, led by Chris Colvin at the point. Oregon State pressured ASU in the backcourt, but ASU knocked down open three-pointers and lay-ups alike to put the game away.

It's hard not to be impressed with the way ASU responded once Lockett went out. The team remained poised and did not make many errors, displaying a sense of confidence that can only make Sun Devil fans feel hopeful. Lockett's injury could keep him sidelined for awhile, and if it does, ASU will need to display that same poise in the coming weeks.

ASU moves to 2-3 in conference play. The team will play at Colorado and Utah next weekend.