Arizona State senior point guard Remy Martin scored 26 points to help the No. 18 Sun Devils hold off Rhode Island 94-88 on Wednesday night at the 2K Empire Sports Classic in Uncasville, Conn.Martin, a preseason All-American, also had six rebounds and five assists in the foul-plagued season-opener for both teams.Arizona State, which squandered a 16-point first-half lead, trailed 72-69 with 11:18 to go. The game stayed within one possession until ASU’s Marcus Bagley made a free throw with 1:08 to go for a 92-88 lead. Holland Woods made a steal and layup in the final minute to finish the scoring.The Sun Devils advanced to Thursday’s title game of the four-team tournament, playing the winner of the Villanova-Boston College matchup played later Wednesday. The Rams will play the loser in the consolation.Wednesday’s matchup wasn’t set until Monday after Baylor – Arizona State’s original opponent — withdrew because of COVID-19 issues. The game was often sloppy, with the teams combining to commit 55 fouls and 29 turnovers.Rhode Island junior forward Antwan Walker scored a career-high 19 points, as did guard Jeremy Sheppard, making his URI debut after stops at Eastern Carolina and junior college. Walker scored 16 points in the second half.
