Arizona State basketball defeated New Mexico 85-82 in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs on Thursday night.
It was a game with seven lead changes, where momentum swung back and forth. The Sun Devils held the advantage early before the Lobos made a 16-1 run to lead 37-34 at halftime. After trailing by as much as nine in the second half, the Maroon and Gold mustered a 26-16 run to retake the lead with 6:24 remaining.
Trailing 75-74, the Sun Devils hit back-to-back threes in the final two minutes via senior forward Basheer Jihad and senior guard/forward BJ Freeman to hold on for their first win over New Mexico in program history.
“I thought we should a lot of determination to stay in the game,” Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley told reporters after the game. “They really ramped up their pressure. We weren’t really ready for it and had a couple of bad turnovers and allowed them to get back in it. But, just proud of how we competed and the plays we made down the stretch.”
Here are three takeaways from the win.
Takeaway #1: A matchup of makeshift triple threats
A triple threat would not be the best way to describe either team going into the matchup. In fact, both teams have four players that average double digit points per game. But both teams had three guys they could rely on throughout the game.
For Arizona State, that was Jihad–who led the team with 20 points–freshman guard Joson Sanon with 19 points, and Freeman with 16. It was the first time where the maroon and gold had three players with over 15 points in a game since a 79-61 win over Oregon State on Feb. 14, 2024.
New Mexico’s triple threat was much clearer. Junior guard Donovan Dent, redshirt senior forward Mustapha Amzil, and senior guard CJ Noland accounted for 71 of its 82 points on Thursday night. Dent had 30 points, while Amzil had a career-high 28. Noland had 13.
It was the first game since Feb. 17, 2023 that the Lobos had one player with at least 30 points and another with at least 20.
“They’re a handful to deal with with Dent,” Hurley said. “The other kid, Amzil, was out of his mind tonight. It was a great game for him.”
Takeaway #2: Field goals vs. free throws
The scoresheet on Thursday night could have been a head scratcher for the fans. Arizona State shot 47% from the field and from three-point land. New Mexico shot 38% in both of those categories.
So, how was the game decided by three points?
First was the battle of the free throws. The Lobos had more trips to the line earlier in the game, going 10-for-12 in the opening 20 minutes. As the Sun Devils entered the bonus about halfway through the second half, they saw more opportunities from the stripe. After going 4-for-7 in the first half, they went 20-for-25 in the second, helping them to claw into/take the lead.
At the end of the night, the free throw battle went to New Mexico, who went 28-for-32, while Arizona State went 24-for-32. Nonetheless, it was an improved shooting for the maroon and gold, who shot 66% from the stripe against Cal Poly on Nov. 20.
“We didn’t settle,” Hurley said. “We started attacking the paint a little bit more, getting to the free-throw line and I think that calmed us down when things were going a little bit sideways.”
Second was the shot attempts. The Lobos went 24-for-63 and 6-for-16 from three-point range, while the Sun Devils went 26-for-55 and 9-for-19 from beyond-the-arc. Overall, Hurley’s side was more efficient in their chances, trying to take simple shots. This was evident through some electrifying dunks from freshman forward Jayden Quaintance, who had a straight shot to the basket.
Takeaway #3: Jihad finds footing late
Through the opening 25 minutes, Arizona State’s starting forwards struggled to get going. Jihad only had three points while Quaintance had zero. That started to change after they teamed up for back-to-back buckets, as the Sun Devils cut away their deficit. While Quaintance only put up four points, Jihad surged in the final minutes.
The Ball State transfer started to get more touches to the ball, driving to the basket and getting fouled in the process. He went 7-for-10 from the line, with six coming in the second half.
Additionally, Jihad found his shot from distance, going 3-for-4 on his three-point attempts. It was the first time he hit multiple triples in a game this season. Overall, he shot 5-for-9 from the field.
“It’s always something that I’ve always been capable of, something I did last year,” Jihad said. “It’s just getting back into rhythm. Making sure that I’m being a disciplined shooter and following through and doing those things. It’s definitely part of my game and something that I can build off of.”
Thursday night was the third time Jihad hit 20 points this season, a benchmark he hit eight times last year with Ball State.
“He was tough, he battled in there,” Hurley said about Jihad. “They were very physical. He made a key free-throw, and hit some big threes.”
Up next for Arizona State (6-1): vs. Saint Mary’s (7-0) (Acrisure Classic championship game) – Nov. 29 at 9:30 p.m. EST
Up next for New Mexico (5-2): vs. USC (5-2) (Acrisure Classic 3rd place game) – Nov. 29 at 11:59 p.m. EST