After a stunning victory against Texas in their opening game of the 2025 Maui Invitational on November 24, the Arizona State Sun Devils further solidified their dominance by defeating Washington State 100-94 the following night. This victory set the stage for a championship matchup against the USC Trojans on November 26 at 12:30 p.m. MST.
In the nail-biting game against Texas, Sun Devils guard Moe Odum emerged as a standout player, scoring 36 points and hitting a decisive late 3-pointer that clinched the 87-86 win. His impressive performance continued against Washington State, where he contributed an additional 26 points. Coach Bobby Hurley praised Odum’s talent, stating, “I’m in awe of some of the plays he’s making… Glad he’s on my side.”
Currently holding a 6-1 record, Arizona State is vying for its first Maui Invitational title since 1994, an achievement marked by the leadership of Mario Bennett under coach Bill Frieder.
On the other side of the court, the USC Trojans, led by coach Eric Musselman, bring their undefeated 6-0 record into the championship game. They secured their place in the finals by defeating Boise State, where Rodney Rice scored 27 points, followed by a close win over Seton Hall, 83-81, with Ezra Ausar contributing 25 points. However, Rice may not participate in the championship game due to a shoulder injury sustained against Seton Hall, leaving his status uncertain.
Musselman, who coached at ASU as an assistant from 2012 to 2014, remarked on his team’s challenging path, saying, “Right now, we’re just trying to survive… We hang around, hang around, hang around and see what happens towards the end.”
As the championship game approached, excitement was palpable. At the 9:30 a.m. tip-off in Lahaina, ASU took an early lead of 9-4, igniting a spirited back-and-forth first half filled with nine lead changes in the first 11 minutes. USC managed to take a slight edge, leading 29-27 at the under-8-minute timeout, thanks to Chad Baker-Mazara’s 11 points.
While USC has been lethal in shooting, achieving 75% from the field in the initial eight minutes, they maintained only a narrow lead over the Sun Devils. The performances of Jaden Brownell for USC and ASU’s Massamba Diop, Andrija Grbovic, Bryce Ford, and Santiago Trouet will be pivotal as the game progresses.
Fans can tune in to catch the thrilling championship game on ESPN or stream it through FUBO. This match promises to be an exciting showdown, as both teams bring impressive talent to the court in the pursuit of the Maui Invitational title.