Arizona State basketball fell to former Pac-12 rival Utah with a 99-73 road defeat on Saturday evening.
As the calendar turns to March, teams start to realize who is a lock for the NCAA tournament, who is on the bubble and who is practically eliminated.
Both the Sun Devils and the Utes find themselves in the latter. The visitors, marred by injuries, fielded only six scholarship players. Meanwhile, the hosts were still reeling from their head coach, Craig Smith, being fired on Monday.
Yet, both sides, once again locked in rivalry, fought down the stretch with offensive flurries. In the end, Arizona State basketball (13-16, 4-14 Big 12) collapsed in the second half, allowing Utah (16-13, 8-10 Big 12) to surge in front of its fans at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Takeaway #1: Ausar, Utah big men provide basis to second half attack
There was no question that the Utes were going to use their taller players on Saturday evening. Three of the team’s four leading scorers are either forwards or centers.
Josh Eilert’s side used different physical tactics and cuts on the Sun Devils, who were without freshman forward Jayden Quaintance, who typically anchors the defense. The absence of the five-star recruit led to many miscommunication errors on the Utes’ cuts, leading to easy baskets throughout the game. The errors also led to more one on one challenges that favored the hosts.
Junior forward Ezra Ausar led the way with 25 points and four rebounds. He also went 11-for-14 from the free-throw line on a day when his team went 19-for-27. His fellow forward, sophomore Keanu Dawes, followed with a double-double off the bench with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Dawes also had a ferocious block on Arizona State basketball’s freshman guard Joson Sanon.
Utah basketball’s top heavy play helped it only trail 43-41 at halftime. The team’s scoring leader, fifth year guard Gabe Madsen, was held scoreless in the opening 25 minutes.
Takeaway #2: Sanon electrifies in return to Beehive State
Arizona State basketball fans have seen the best and worst of Sanon this year.
The best came in non-conference play, when the freshman was averaging over 13 points per game, oftentimes off the bench. Since starting competition against conference foes, though, he had only hit double figures twice.
A potential tipping point was the first Big 12 game at now-No. 25 BYU. Sanon had a below-average day, scoring eight points. More importantly, he suffered an ankle injury during that game.
After middling through injuries- along with shooting woes- the Fall River, MA native has increased his minutes due to the lack of guards available for Arizona State basketball. After an 18-point performance, while playing the whole game against the Cougars in Tempe, Sanon notched a career-high 28 points on Saturday evening.
The five-star recruit scored 16 of Arizona State basketball’s 27 points when the teams reached the under-8 media timeout in the first half. While producing points off catch-and-shoot opportunities earlier in the season, he remained patient, often lining up triples around the top of the key. When space arose, he slithered to the basket for the layup.
Sanon has regained starting guard trust. But this time, he is part of the five. Hopefully, next season for Arizona State basketball fans.
Takeaway #3: Sun Devil adversity snowballs with defensive problems
Arizona State basketball once again displayed a shorthanded starting lineup. Although senior guard Alston Mason returned from illness, many players remained out.
The ESPN+ commentators mentioned that senior guard Bobby Hurley Jr. was hurt as well. His father, head coach Bobby Hurley, told the crew that an absence was not an option. (Perhaps it does not run in the family)
Hurley’s side has embodied that mentality, not losing by more than 20 points ahead of Saturday evening. This was even seen last Wednesday when redshirt senior guard Adam Miller returned to the game twice after gruesome collisions.
But Arizona State basketball’s wore off by allowing 58 second-half points. Beyond allowing 48 points in the paint, it also fatigued in the second half, allowing 20 fast break points.
Additionally, teams have found a new way to beat the Sun Devils: turn to the bench. After BYU deployed 11 players on Wednesday night, its Holy War counterpart put 13 players on the court, resulting in 41 bench points.
The Sun Devils could not keep up offensively, with only 30 second-half points. This was seen through senior forward Basheer Jihad, who put up 16 points, but still seemed to fall short in his efforts. He put up a couple of triples in the first half, but could not maintain that versatility in the second half, missing easy shots that led to Utah’s transition opportunities.
This is March for Arizona State basketball.
Up next for Arizona State (13-16, 4-14): at No. 22 Arizona (19-9, 13-4) – Mar. 4 at 11 p.m. EST
Up next for Utah (16-13, 8-10): vs. West Virginia (17-11, 8-9) – Mar. 4 at 9 p.m. EST