Murauskas Leads Arizona State Past Hofstra

Arizona State improved to 3-0 with an 85-63 win over Hofstra on November 10, pulling away after holding a 41-32 halftime lead. Paulius Murauskas led the Sun Devils with 22 points and 11 rebounds, adding three blocks and two steals. He made six of 14 shots from the field and 10 of 13 free throws.

Arizona State widened the gap early in the second half with a 14-3 run. Ben Defty scored six points in the stretch, while JRob Croy made two consecutive three-pointers and Joel Foxwell added another. The run put the Sun Devils ahead 58-35 with 14:20 left.

Croy finished with 18 points and four three-pointers; Foxwell had 16 points and six assists. Arizona State made 13 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc, shot 48% overall and outrebounded Hofstra 49-25. Nick Jefferson paced Hofstra, now 1-2, with 11 points and five assists. Blake and Tavarez each contributed 12 points.

Arizona State coach Randy Bennett said his team was careless with the ball in the first half, including 13 turnovers, but praised its progress and second-half surge. He said center Emmanuel Innocenti could return from injury for the next game, though he was not certain.

The Sun Devils host UL Monroe on November 13. Hofstra also plays at home that day, against Iona.