On Thanksgiving night, Arizona State (6-1), facing a challenging New Mexico (5-2) squad, roared back in the final ten minutes of the game after giving up a double-digit lead in the first half to edge the Lobos in an 85-82 win. Here are our takeaways from a seesaw contest that saw seven lead changes and ten ties.
ASU’s resiliency was on full display
After taking a 13-point lead with just over five minutes left in the first half, ASU yielded a 16-1 run to New Mexico, which ended with taking a 37-34 lead into halftime. The Lobos added to the run coming out of the break, with the height of the run topping out at 21-1 for a 42-34 lead before Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley was forced to take a timeout to stop the bleeding.
The Lobos led 60-51 with 10 minutes left in regulation after back-to-back technical fouls by junior center Shawn Phillips and Hurley, but the Sun Devils came back with a couple of buckets, and the lead was never more than four points for the Lobos from that point on. The Sun Devils got punched in the mouth halfway through the game, but they responded fairly well and kept the game close, as it was a back-and-forth contest in the final eight minutes.
“Coach Hurley said when the game started, it was going to be a game of runs,” senior guard BJ Freeman said. “We didn’t put too much pressure on each other, and we stuck to the gameplan. We’re getting 1% better every day, and we’re taking everything to heart as a family. Once we come together, we’re a dangerous team.”
After the Hurley technical foul, ASU outscored New Mexico 34-22. The two technicals may have given Sun Devil fans a bit of Deja vu, as ASU had a similar situation against UCLA last year in a 68-66 loss. Instead of the technicals hurting ASU like last year, they seemed to rejuvenate the team as the offense scored 51 points in the second half. For the first time this season, the Sun Devils scored more than 50 in a half. Freeman hit the dagger three with 1:25 left to put ASU 80-75, and the Sun Devils held the lead from then until the final buzzer.
“I’ve been in a little shooting slump lately,” Freeman admitted. “Seeing the ball fall through and everybody playing their role feels good. It’s great seeing everybody shine, and this is what we’re going to get. Next game is going to be the same thing: execute, be good teammates, and see what the result’s going to be.”
Quaintance and Sanon continue to shine
Although he went just 2 of 8 from the field, freshman forward Jayden Quaintance has made it clear through seven games that his impact is made on defense and on the boards. Four of his eight rebounds came on the offensive glass as the Sun Devils were able to finish with 10 second-chance points, and he added three blocks.
He’s become a problem for opposing offenses in the paint, and he had the highlight of the night for the Sun Devils. After grabbing a defensive rebound, Quaintance got out on the break and took it coast to coast, postering the defender on a monster dunk that injected energy into ASU at the midpoint of the second half.
Hurley has decided to stick with his decision to bring freshman guard Joson Sanon off the bench, and it’s turned into wins. Sanon had 17 of the team’s 26 bench points to lead the team as he created his own shots at all three levels of the basket. His first basket of the game came on a pull-up three, then he moved into the midrange where he created space off the dribble and knocked down several shots.
He also got downhill and into the paint, where he got to the line, going 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. Ever since he finished the Gonzaga game with three points, he’s averaged 20 points per game off the bench. His ability to score effectively at all three levels has left defenses with no answer to stop him, as the freshman has quickly asserted his dominance in college basketball.
“I think Joson is the best freshman in the country,” Freeman pronounced. “He’s the best scorer in the country, and I feel like if he stays consistent, he’s going to be the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.”
80 points for six straight games
For the first time since 2017-2018, the Sun Devils have scored more than 80 points in six straight games. That team from seven years ago wound up making the NCAA tournament, finishing the regular season with a 20-12 record. Coincidentally, that team also opened up the season with a win over Idaho State, though they did it more convincingly, 94-74.
Led by players such as Tra Holder, Shannon Evans, Kodi Justice, and Remy Martin, the Sun Devils opened the season with six straight games scoring at least 80 points before ending the streak in a 75-57 victory over San Francisco. Just two games later, Holder led the 16th-ranked Sun Devils with 29 points in a shocking 95-85 victory over No. 2 Kansas on the road, something this year’s team has the chance to do again on January 8th, 2025.
Comparing the stats from the two teams, this year’s team is currently edging out the 46-36-73 shooting splits from 2017-2018, with 47-39-72 registered this year. The sample size is much smaller, with just seven games compared to 32, but if these trends were to continue, it would be similar to the offensive mindset Hurley had with the 2017-2018 team.
Defense kept ASU in the game
After jumping out to a 60-51 lead with 10 minutes left in the second half, the Lobos finished the rest of the game going 5-for-15 from the field. Overall, they shot 37%, making more free throws (28) than field goals (24) in the entire game. While it was a physical game at times, the referees in the second half seemed to be calling the game extremely close, whistling both times for even the slightest contact.
The Sun Devils were the ones who benefitted from this, although they only made two more field goals (26) than free throws (24). When both times were heading to the line virtually every time they came down the court, the Sun Devils used the pace to crawl their way back into the game as New Mexico’s half-court offense struggled in the last ten minutes of the game. The Sun Devils won the assist battle 16-10 as they shut down passing lanes during their stretches of runs in the second half.
Free throws win the game
ASU was able to turn defense into offense as New Mexico couldn’t find the bottom of the basket in the back half of the game, but the game slowed down as the game ended with 47 total fouls between the two teams. The Sun Devils shot 4 of 7 from the line in the first half but made 20 of 25 attempts in the second half and 19 of 21 in the last 10 minutes.
The main culprits for the missed free throws were Quaintance and senior forward Basheer Jihad, who each missed three. Quaintance has struggled from the line all year, going 0-3 on the game and 11-22 this season, but Jihad went 7-10 tonight and is 38-49 overall.
“We saw we were in the bonus and knew we had to attack,” Freeman noted. “We were downhill and aggressive, and we got some contact calls and executed free throws. We practice those every day, and it all starts with being a good teammate. We cheer each other on, and we preach that next person up mentality.”
The Sun Devils stepped up in the clutch when it came to making free throws, resulting in a win against a Power 36 team that will look very good on ASU’s resume. They’ll be faced with another challenge in St. Mary’s as Hurley looks to win his fourth tournament as ASU’s head coach. He will try to do so against the Gaels, who dismantled USC earlier on Thursday 71-36.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” Freeman expressed. “I never thought I’d be in something like this, so it’s nothing but a blessing, and I’m glad to be with a group of guys like this. I definitely have something to be thankful for with this group.”
