At the highest levels of collegiate basketball, any possession can dictate the outcome of a game. Often, it's a combination of factors that determine the result of a close contest. On the surface, an unforgettable night for junior forward Keyshawn Hall, who scored a career-high 40 points, would seem to explain why visiting Central Florida emerged victorious in Tempe. Yet, when examining the smaller battles on the hardwood, a troubling pattern emerges.
In Arizona State’s (10-6, 1-4 Big 12) 95-89 loss to the Knights (12-4, 3-2) on Tuesday, both offenses were firing on all cylinders, with each team shooting over 50% from the field. ASU even shot over 50% from beyond the arc for the first time this season in a loss. This was a significant deviation, as the Sun Devils had won their previous eight games when shooting above 31% from three-point range.
“I thought we played pretty well,” head coach Bobby Hurley said after the game. “We didn’t make some free throws in the second half. I knew they were talented. I knew they could score. It was a tough night; it was a hard loss.”
Where the Sun Devils struggled, however, was in areas inside the painted area. The visitors notched 38 points in the paint to ASU’s 32, as UCF’s guards consistently found driving lanes, collapsing the defense and exploiting opportunities inside.
“I feel like mainly we couldn’t get a stop at the other end,” forward Jayden Quaintance said. “That’s what kind of hurt us the most. We kept letting them get downhill and into the paint on every possession, especially at the end of the game, and that hurt us a lot.”
In the battle on the glass, ASU lost for the third consecutive game, conceding 36 rebounds to 32. While this may seem like a minor discrepancy, it is telling. All six of ASU’s losses this season have come in games where the opponent won the rebound differential. In the 2024-25 campaign, ASU is 4-6 when losing the rebounding battle, allowing four additional offensive rebounds to UCF, which translated into three extra second-chance points.
No matter the circumstances this season, turnovers have consistently been a thorn in ASU's side. Despite recording a season-high 19 assists on 30 field goals, the Sun Devils committed 14 turnovers. For additional context, they rank second-to-last in the Big 12 in both turnover margin (-1.19 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.04 per game).
Giving the ball away has become a constant issue, as ASU has yet to record a game with fewer than 10 turnovers this season. Beyond the basic impact turnovers have on the flow of a game, they can also be a sign of disconnect within the team. Quaintance acknowledged a dip in ball movement late in the game despite the team benefiting from crisp passing and ball movement earlier.
“I feel like we executed for the majority of the game,” Quaintance said. “It was just continuing to trust each other. Sometimes, that’s a little rougher when it’s such a close game and it’s a critical time. I feel like that might’ve been a factor in us missing shots.”
“I feel like everybody kind of tried to do it themselves. When time ticks down, it gets a little more panicky. It wasn’t as trusting as it was at the beginning of the game when a lot of things were open.”
Another challenge the Sun Devils faced was a lack of depth. Without the presence of five-star freshman guard Joson Sanon, who averages 12.8 points per game and is the second most on the roster, the team missed his contributions on both ends of the floor on Tuesday when facing moments with their backs against the wall.
Sanon has missed three of ASU’s last four games due to a mild ankle sprain suffered against BYU on New Year’s Eve. He played 20 minutes on Saturday against Baylor, scoring five points, but additional inflammation forced him to the sidelines again. Despite the injury, the Vermont Academy product has been eager to return to the court, according to Hurley.
“Joson is a little bit of a pain in the [rear] because he is such a competitor,” Hurley said. “I’ve had other guys say that if they stub their toe, they might be out for a month. This guy was begging me to play, getting his treatment, and trying to get back on the court. We’re going to be more patient with him, and when he’s ready to go, we’ll bring him back.”
Sanon’s injury also affects ASU’s rotation. Without him, the Sun Devils have been without a key component of their bench. On Tuesday, UCF won the battle for bench points, outscoring ASU 20-10. Freshman forward Amir Ali and junior 7-footer Shaun Phillips Jr. were the only contributors off the bench for the Sun Devils.
These small but significant issues are becoming increasingly frustrating for players, coaches, and fans alike. The early stages of the Big 12 gauntlet have revealed that the team is capable from a talent perspective. With Quaintance, who scored a season-high 20 points, and senior guard BJ Freeman contributing 24 points as well, the team doesn’t seem far off from breaking its three-game losing streak. As Hurley feels, the team is capable of getting it done with the best of them.
“I don’t know if we could’ve done any better in late-game situations against Baylor, to be honest. I don’t know if there’s a team in the country that could’ve done any better in late-game situations,” Hurley said. “In this game, we didn’t get stops, and I guess our execution could’ve been better on offense.”
According to Quaintance, the key to the team's growth is simple. With 15 games remaining on the regular season calendar, ASU still has a lot of basketball left to play. But if the team doesn’t win more of the battles in the margins, a turnaround seems unlikely.
“Just staying calm in those moments and growing closer to each other,” Quaintance said. “Being able to pass to the next man and know that the ball will come back to you. Just being mindful that everybody on here is on the same team and we have the same goal.”
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