Dylan Smith hit three 3-pointers and Deandre Ayton scored 11 points as Arizona Men’s basketball leads Arizona State University 39-37 at halftime Saturday in the McKale Center. 

Arizona took a early 8-3 lead in the first five minutes of the game but ASU came back and tied it at 12 with just over 13 minutes left in the first half. It was a close game for the rest of the half, with both teams trading leads six times. 

Smith entered the game about five minutes in and hit two 3-pointers and found Brandon Randolph for a three in the corner. Then with just under seven minutes in the first half, he hit another three to give him nine points. Arizona’s bench scored 12 of the teams 39 points.

Deandre Ayton had 11 points and two blocks but also got a technical foul for elbowing a ASU player after he missed a layup. McKale Center couldn’t see the foul and protested loudly. Ayton turned the ball over three times and shot 4-for-7 from the floor.

Once again Allonzo Trier had a slow first half. He went 0-for-6 until the last minute of the game when he hit a momentum-changing transition three off of a missed dunk by ASU. Trier then went to the line on Arizona’s next possession and hit two free throws to give him a total of five first half points. 

Trae Holder led ASU with 12 points on 2-for-3 shooting. 

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