Arizona State Basketball’s Comeback Against Baylor Falls Short In OT: 3 Takeaways

Arizona State basketball suffered its first home loss of the season with a 72-66 loss to Baylor on Saturday night.

For the first time this school year, one of the Sun Devils’ major sports teams (football, men’s basketball, and baseball) lost a game at home. Despite a middling first half and being down by 15 at one point, Arizona State basketball forced the Bears into turnovers, tying the game with 1.9 seconds left on a layup by redshirt senior guard Adam Miller.

Desert Financial Arena was bustling to start overtime, but the visitors mostly silenced the venue with an 8-0 run, as the Baylor supporters made their presence known. The Maroon and Gold could not erase the deficit, falling to 1-3 in Big 12 play this season.

“This league will be an adjustment,” Arizona State basketball head coach Bobby Hurley said. “This league is strong and we gotta get used to being ready to do better. This was another case where we played two separate halves.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Takeaway #1: Baylor bigs stifle home energy

Hurley mentioned the strength of Baylor: a team that out-rebounded his side 43 to 35, nearly doubling them on second-chance points, and scoring 28 in the paint.

Spearheading that effort was fifth-year forward Norchad Omier and junior forward Josh Ojianwuna, who both played a role in thwarting the Sun Devils’ momentum.

Omier, fresh off an 18-point showing against Cincinnati on Tuesday, had 19 points and eight rebounds. Only getting four points in the first half, the Nicaraguan found a groove in the second half, hitting a couple of triples to quell the Arizona State basketball faithful.

Meanwhile, Ojianwuna posted his third double-double in the past five games, with 12 points and 17 rebounds (with six on the offensive end) during Saturday night’s contest. He was held to four points in the opening 20 minutes, but was consistent on rebounds, getting a jump before Sun Devil forwards, senior Basheer Jihad and freshman Jayden Quaintance, could get to the ball. Ojianwuna also stretched the lead to six in overtime.

Overall, Jihad and Quaintance were held to 15 points and 13 rebounds combined. Quaintance, who is known for leading the charge at the rim, only scored five points, his lowest total since Nov. 28 against New Mexico.

“They’re athletic, they’re physical,” Hurley said. “We gotta be able to try and win an ugly game like this…We weren’t able to get it done.”

Extra boards, extra possession, extra shots, extra wins.

Takeaway #2: Sun Devils find themselves out of position

With seconds remaining before halftime, Quaintance blocked a shot, electrifying the crowd. A common showing this season, as Quaintance is the only player in the nation averaging nine points, eight rebounds, and three blocks per game.

As the Sun Devils went forward for the final shot of the half, Quaintance received the ball again. Known for his pivots and slam dunks on the offensive end, Quaintance was forced to try a three-pointer with a few seconds before the buzzer.

It was a common occurrence for the Maroon and Gold. Elsewhere, freshman guard Joson Sanon, making his first appearance of 2025, seldom found chances near his sweet spot: the three-point line. He was forced to retrieve the ball underneath the basket. Instead of the layup, Sanon would dribble to the elbow to hit a jumper.

Not ideal, and not effective for a team that averages 74.8 points per game.

This was especially apparent in the first half, as the Sun Devils trailed 32-20. Some potential remnants from the Wednesday loss to Kansas, where they were outscored 38-13 in the second half.

“I’ve been on teams where we may have missed shots, but the intensity never dropped, the focus never dropped,” Miller said. “You’re only as strong as your weakest link out there. If one guy messes up, it’s done with…We just gotta find ways to not let that happen.”

Takeaway #3: Freeman shows he can be the guy for the Sun Devils

Arizona State basketball has seen a veteran step up in the backcourt with Sanon’s injury. An unlikely leader if you were to look at the stat sheet at the beginning of the season. His name is BJ Freeman.

The senior guard/forward led the way offensively for the third time in the past four games, this time with a season-high 22 points. He connected on eight of his 19 shots, went 4-for-6 from the free-throw line, and grabbed four rebounds.

Not only did the UW Milwaukee transfer make his shots, he also helped defensively as well: a staple in the Bobby Hurley culture. He played a key role in the Maroon and Gold’s 22 fast break points, pressuring the Bears into turnovers, travels, and three-second violations. His impact was made notable in the second half, with a crucial layup to cut his team’s deficit down to one possession.

When he fouled out in overtime and left to applause from the crowd, Freeman was one of two Sun Devils that reached double figures in regulation.

“The reality is we wouldn’t have been (in overtime) if it wasn’t for him on the offensive end,” Hurley said about Freeman. “He’s really finding himself in that way.”

Up next for Arizona State (10-5, 1-3): vs. UCF (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) – 11 p.m. EST

Up next for Baylor (11-4, 3-1): at Arizona (10-5, 4-0) – 11 p.m. EST