ASU leads by three at half

So what did you expect from the two teams that sit atop the Pac-10 shooting percentage defense statistic? An offensive shootout? Well, you would have been sorely disappointed. And not too smart. These are teams that play the same type of defense, just one in a matchup zone and the other in a pack man-to-man. Usually the difference would be James Harden, who leads the Pac-10 in scoring at 21 points a game. But the Cougars have shut him down – he has three points – at the expense of giving up open looks from 3 – ASU is 5 of 8 from there. Still, with the halftime score 23-20, you have to believe both teams feel good about their defense. One prediction: Harden will not finish with six points. He’ll get his shots and points in the second half. By the way, WSU trailed by three at half in Tempe. We’ll be back at the end.