Murauskas Leads Arizona State Past UL Monroe

Murauskas made 11 of 20 field-goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and converted six of eight free throws in 30 minutes. The senior forward has scored 107 points across Arizona State’s first four games. Joel Foxwell added 16 points and nine assists, while Dillan Shaw had 12 points and eight rebounds.

UL Monroe briefly led 9-6 in the opening minutes. Murauskas then scored half of Arizona State’s points during a 14-2 run, and the Sun Devils built a 47-22 halftime lead. They stretched the margin to 41 points, 68-27, on a Ben Defty dunk with 14:41 remaining.

Arizona State shot 45% from the field and made 15 of 44 attempts from beyond the arc. The Sun Devils scored 25 points off 14 turnovers. UL Monroe shot 34% overall and made six 3-pointers in 18 attempts. Dayjaun Anderson led the Warhawks with 17 points and eight rebounds; the team fell to 1-4 overall and 0-3 on the road.

Bennett praised Murauskas’s growth as a leader, saying that was the biggest improvement he had seen in the forward. He also said Arizona State had defended well until the final eight to 10 minutes, while noting the team needed to sustain its effort for a full game.

UL Monroe is scheduled to play at Grand Canyon on Saturday. Arizona State hosts Oakland on November 18.