In Brief : Ariz. State’s Becker Breaks Hand

Arizona State’s injury-riddled basketball team got more bad news today when it learned starting center Mark Becker has a broken bone in his shooting hand.

Becker said he hurt his right hand while trying to break a fall during the first half of the Sun Devils’ 82-70 non-conference win over Northern Arizona here Saturday night.

The 6-foot-9, 224-pound junior from Tempe finished with 11 points and six rebounds, but his right thumb swelled up overnight, and X-rays were taken Sunday at St. Luke’s Medical Center.

They revealed a fracture of the navicular bone between the wrist and thumb, team trainer Troy Young said.

Young said a more detailed examination of Becker’s hand was ordered for this afternoon. A hairline fracture would still allow Becker to play, but a serious fracture could require surgery and sideline him several weeks and possibly the rest of the season.