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Arizona State opened conference play with four wins, announcing that they were one of the biggest surprises in the nation this season. Three games later, though, things are looking noticeably tougher for the Sun Devils. On Saturday, Washington State topped ASU 56-55 in Tempe, keeping the Cougs in second place despite their loss to Arizona on Thursday. WSU guards Derrick Low and Taylor Rochestie combined for 31 points, while James Harden led the way for the Sun Devils with 25 points on 10/18 FG. He had a chance for the win in the final seconds, but his drive was foiled by the Cougs' physical defense.

Of course, the ASU faithful didn't quite see it that way. Replays did show a potential foul, and the fans seem to have thought a call was warranted. According to WSU assistant coaches, a few of their players were pelted with water bottles on their way off the Wells Fargo Arena court. ASU Athletic Director Lisa Love claims she will review the tape.

That behavior could just be a symptom of Arizona State's fans sensing a potential crisis for the team. After this weekend's two home losses, the Sun Devils are now 4-3 heading into next week's trip to UCLA and USC -- arguably the toughest road trip in the conference. As for Washington State, this win stands as the difference between staying near the top of the conference and falling into the gooey, 4-3 center of the Pac-10. If the Cougars bounce back from some recent defensive troubles and reel off a few convincing wins, look back to this game as a turning point.

Elsewhere in the Pac-10:

USC 95, Oregon 86 (OT)
The Trojans built off last week's stunning upset of UCLA with a superb weekend, topping it off with a win in Eugene on Saturday night. USC held a sizable lead for most of the game, but Oregon erased a nine-point deficit with 1:26 left in regulation, with a Bryce Taylor lay-up at the buzzer sending the game into the extra period. USC overcame their late-game troubles and made all five of their shots in overtime. That performance came on the heels of shooting 77% from the field in the second half, including 20 points in the half from OJ Mayo, who seemed unaffected by his recent ticket mini-scandal. Consistency has been an issue for the Trojans, but their potential for offensive performances like this one make them a scary opponent.

Arizona 84, Washington 69
This one was never really in doubt, as the Wildcats built a 13-point halftime lead and blitzed the Huskies when it counted in the second half. Arizona shot 62% from the floor and 59% from beyond the arc. Freshman sensation Jerryd Bayless had 26 points on 9/11 shooting, showing that he might be close to being 100% back from the knee sprain that kept him out of the team's first three Pac-10 games. Chase Budinger had 25 points of his own, coupling with Bayless to show why they're the conference's most explosive offensive duo. Simply put, this team is much, much better with Bayless at full strength -- so much so that it's almost tempting to think of the Wildcats' 1-2 Pac-10 start as the work of an entirely different team.

UCLA 85, Oregon State 62
The Bruins easily handled the Beavers in the weekend's most predictable game. UCLA held a mere four-point lead at the half, but this one was never in doubt. Darren Collison scored a career-high 33 points on 13/13 shooting from the charity stripe. Plus, as if Thursday's crushing of Oregon wasn't enough, Kevin Love continued his Oregon homecoming extravaganza with 16 points and 21 rebounds. As usual, the Beavs will have to pick out the few positives from the wreckage, regroup, and pray for a conference win this season.