Dealing with significant injuries has been commonplace for the Sun Devils this season, but seeing their opponent score 58 points in one half of basketball was an anomaly even in a struggling campaign such as this year's. The return of senior guard Alston Mason to the lineup was negated by the absences of senior guard Adam Miller (hip) and freshman forward Jayden Quaintance (knee) as Arizona State (13-16, 4-14 Big 12) saw Utah (16-13, 8-10) go on a 36-12 run en route to end the game with a 99-73 victory.
Seven Minutes of Distress
With 11:38 left in the game, freshman guard Joson Sanon hit a three-pointer in a tight contest. At that point, ASU trailed by just two points, with plenty of time to mount a strong finish. What transpired over the next nine minutes was a defensive display from Utah that interim head coach Josh Eilert will highlight on film for days to come.
The Sun Devils failed to score a field goal for over nine minutes, with just 10 points coming from the free-throw line. The run was demoralizing for both players and coaching staff. Despite leading 43-41 at halftime, the second-half disparity was 28 points. ASU shot just 9-of-31 from the floor and 1-of-5 from three-point range.
Offensively, Utah’s performance was the opposite, shooting 19-of-34 from the field (55%) and 8-of-14 from beyond the arc. Home-court advantage piled up, and before anyone knew it, the game was effectively over from a competitive standpoint.
Late-game collapses have been a recurring theme for the Sun Devils this season. Despite strong starts, they’ve consistently fallen short in close matchups.
Sanon’s Sensational Shooting
A positive for ASU was the outstanding play of Sanon, who finished with a career-high 28 points, shooting 11-of-20 and 4-of-5 from three-point range. The five-star freshman had experienced up-and-down performances since suffering an ankle sprain at the beginning of Big 12 play.
For Sanon, his performance was crucial for Hurley’s offense. He created his own shots and became a run-stopper, hitting big shots early in the second half. Although he cooled off toward the end of the game, Utah did an impressive job forcing the ball out of his hands with hard hedges and double teams.
Regardless of the final result, seeing Sanon elevate his play in the late stages of the season is a positive for ASU fans. His performance has been impressive, especially after scoring 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists against BYU earlier in the week.
Seniors Set the Standard
Hurley’s team has risen as far as the senior starters have taken it. With Freeman’s dismissal from the team highlighting potential internal issues, the play of the seniors has heavily influenced the ebb and flow of the game.
Senior forward Basheer Jihad is a prime example. He finished with 16 points Saturday night, shooting 5-of-12 from the field. He got hot midway through the first half, finishing the period with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, including two three-pointers. However, when ASU relied on him to generate offense in the second half, he shot just 2-of-8 as the Utes smothered him and disrupted his rhythm.
A similar story emerged for Mason, who shot just 3-of-7 in the second half. Although he posted 13 points and four assists, his performance was steady but not enough. Unfortunately for the two mid-major transfers, the scoring load was too much to carry against the Utes, and that has been the case for whoever has made up the injury-riddled lineup.
Troubles at the Rim
Entering the game, it was known that Utah struggles from beyond the arc, shooting 33% as a team, the 10th-best mark in the Big 12. However, the host dominated inside, scoring 48 points in the paint, a sizable gap compared to ASU’s 20.
This disparity and other metrics typically tied to athleticism make sense given the Utes’ deeper rotation, with nine players earning 10 minutes or more. In contrast, Hurley’s team had just six players in that category.
Utah was able to run the floor and pound the paint, scoring 20 fast-break points to ASU’s seven. The deeper, more athletic Utes set the pace and took control of the game.
Another challenge for the short-handed Sun Devils was the foul margin, as Jihad and junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. each picked up five fouls due to the lack of depth in ASU’s big-man rotation. Frustrations mounted as each had to deal with Utah’s powerful drives single-handedly while the other sat on the bench.
Time to Focus on the Tournament
Miller noted after the game that he’d been told by numerous people closely related to the guard that teams “get hot at the right time,” implying that no matter how bad the regular-season record may be, the postseason is where teams can come alive.
From an ASU perspective, the final two games of the year will be about the program playing for pride. No matter the circumstances, a showdown with rival Arizona will be a blockbuster matchup with major storylines. The team’s final game of the season against Texas Tech gives ASU a chance to snap its eight-game losing streak at Desert Financial Arena.
Regardless, the most important aspect of both games will be the Sun Devils' health and sharpness. Their inaugural Big 12 tournament will require a magical run to capture the conference championship crown and qualify for the NCAA tournament, which appears to be an improbable scenario after an outing such as tonight.
