November 27, 2008 | AP Press

At times this season, James Harden has been a one-man offensive show for Arizona State. The Sun Devils will likely need a more balanced performance on Thursday night when they take on the Charlotte 49ers in the first round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

With the rest of his teammates hitting only 26.5 percent of their shots, Harden went 12-of-19 from the field and had a career-high 33 points with 12 rebounds on Sunday in the 14th-ranked Sun Devils’ 61-40 win against Pepperdine.

Harden, whose previous high was 27 points in a 99-90 overtime victory versus California on Jan. 17, had as many points (33) as Pepperdine did when he exited the game in the second half.

“My teammates did a real good job of finding me,” said the 6-foot-4 guard, who scored the team’s first 17 points of the second half.

Harden is averaging 25.0 points and has accounted for 37.5 percent of the Sun Devils’ offense this season. The team’s four other starters shot a combined 2-of-16 against the Waves as Arizona State (3-0) made a season-low 39.6 percent of its attempts from the field.

“Obviously, James was the difference for us with his offensive production,” coach Herb Sendek said.

Harden is hitting 61.0 percent (25-of-41) of his shots and Arizona State is shooting 50.4 percent this season. The Sun Devils, though, will be facing a Charlotte team that’s held its opponents to 40.6 percent shooting.

Defensively, Arizona State has improved each game. Against Pepperdine, the Sun Devils had a season-best 13 steals, forced 20 turnovers for the second time this season, and held the Waves to 26.7 percent shooting.

Arizona State has held opponents to 35.3 percent shooting through three games.

While the Sun Devils go for their first 4-0 start in three seasons, Charlotte looks to avoid its first four-game losing streak since it dropped its final four of the 2004-05 season.

Since their season-opening 77-59 win against UNC Greensboro, the 49ers (1-3) have dropped three in a row by a combined five points.

In Saturday’s 71-70 loss to Clemson, Charlotte forced 17 turnovers and held the Tigers to a season-low 41.8 percent shooting, but missed 12 of its 19 free-throw attempts.

“It was an exciting game,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz told the school’s official Web site. “This is the best team we’ve played so far and I think this is the best we’ve played. The foul line was the difference. Seven-of-19 from the foul line in a game that’s this close – that’s a huge difference.”

Charlotte had made 83.6 percent (61-of-73) of its free throws in the first three games.

Junior guard Ian Andersen scored a career-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers Saturday, while Charlie Coley – the 49ers’ leading rebounder at 6.3 per game – posted a season-high 11 boards with nine points.

In the teams’ only previous meeting on Dec. 30, 2000, Arizona State defeated the 49ers 91-78 in the consolation game of the ASU Holiday Classic.

The winner of this game faces either Providence or Baylor on Friday night in the semifinals.

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