Arizona State basketball fell 67-60 on the road to Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon, losing another close Big 12 game.
Winter doldrums are not a thing in the Valley, where temperatures are currently around 70 degrees. But it is the case for the Sun Devils, who have fallen on hard times with their fifth conference loss of the season.
The Maroon and Gold were met by a strong Bearcats defense, which is one of the best in the Big 12. It held the Sun Devils to 22 points in the first half, before the visitors found a rhythm in the last 20 minutes. While they closed the deficit to single digits, the home side hung on for their first Big 12 home win in 2025.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Takeaway #1: Bearcats dominate the fast break
It has been a usual sight to see Arizona State basketball have more than 10 turnovers in a game. While it has forced mistakes to match their own, Cincinnati made them pay.
Wes Miller’s side only turned the ball over seven times, while forcing 14 giveaways. Six of those Sun Devil turnovers came from freshman forward Jayden Quaintance in an attempt to drive to the basket. His fellow forward, senior Basheer Jihad, had three himself trying to do the same thing.
The Bearcats won the points off turnover battle 17-6. Most notably, they posted 25 fast break points, while the Sun Devil posted two. Therefore, the visitors gave their opponent an avenue to the basket, whether or not they had chance to capitalize.
Struggles to get back on defense was something that head coach Bobby Hurley mentioned last Tuesday in trying to UCF’s junior guard/forward Keyshawn Hall, who tallied 40 points at Desert Financial Arena. Although Saturday’s hosts did not have a 40-point scorer, four of their starters landed in double digits.
Takeaway #2: Quaintance plays all-around on a rough day for the offense
Despite a few fumbles for the Sun Devils, Quaintance has proven to be the go-to forward for his team. After a 20-point, seven-rebound outing against the Knights, he followed with 15 points while tying his career-high 14 rebounds.
The five-star recruit led a productive day off the glass, as the Maroon and Gold out-rebounded the crew from Clifton 42-33. This included 16 offensive boards, which contributed to their 17 second-chance points.
But Quaintance’s performance also showcases some problems with the team. It went 10-for-13 from the free-throw line, with all three misses coming from Quaintance. While better than the 17-for-26 showing against UCF, it was another game where the freshman missed three free points.
Senior guard/forward BJ Freeman and senior guard Alston Mason both reached double figures. But Freeman could not post another superhuman outing, as he only found 12 points. Mason tallied 13, but it was not enough. With a shorthanded backcourt, Arizona State basketball needs to find a spark somewhere to stay in games.
Takeaway #3: The bench continues to hurt without Sanon
So, who steps up to provide the spark?
During non-conference games, that was freshman guard Joson Sanon, who led the team in points going into Big 12 play. Without Sanon, the team has seemed discombobulated.
In facing a defensive Cincinnati side, Arizona State basketball needed its offense to break out. It is hard to do that when playing a seven-man rotation with junior center Shawn Phillips Jr., who has struggled with injury and consistency, and freshman guard/forward Amier Ali, whose sharpshooting abilities from three-point land have diminished as the season has progressed.
Ali took most of his shots from beyond the arc, going 0-for-3 from that area. Phillips had four points and five rebounds, but also four fouls, sending him back to the bench.
All five starters for the Sun Devils had at least 36 minutes on Saturday afternoon. While most of them are veterans, it is a tall ask in a new era, that includes more travel.
Up next for Arizona State (10-7, 1-5 Big 12): at West Virginia – Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. EST
Up next for Cincinnati (12-5, 2-4 Big 12): vs. Texas Tech – Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. EST