PULLMAN, Wash. -- Jahii Carson scored 25 points, 21 in the second half, and Arizona State defeated Washington State 63-59 on Thursday night for its third straight victory.
Evan Gordon had 13 points and Carrick Felix had 11 points -- all in the second half -- and 11 rebounds for the Sun Devils (17-4, 6-2 Pac-12), who overcame 4-for-11 free-throw shooting and a nine-point Washington State first-half lead.
Royce Woolridge scored 16 points -- 15 after halftime -- to lead the Cougars (11-10, 2-6). Mike Ladd had 14 points, and Brock Motum matched Felix with 11 points and 11 boards. Dexter Kernich-Drew scored 10 points for Washington State.
The Sun Devils are 6-2 in the conference for the first time since 1994, and are off to their best start since 1981, when ASU began 19-2 behind Byron Scott, Fat Lever and Alton Lister.
Neither team led by more than nine points in the game, which featured 10 lead changes, and Washington State was ahead 28-24 at halftime.
ASU was ahead 58-51 but Woolridge had five points in a 7-0 run that drew the Cougars even.
Carson's three-point play put the Sun Devils back on top, and after a Cougar free throw, Carson scored with 16 seconds to play for the final margin.
Carson and Felix accounted for all but five of Arizona State's second-half points.
The Sun Devils committed only four turnovers in the game -- none by guards Carson, Felix and Gordon. Washington State was 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half but just 2 of 9 the rest of the way.
