The Sun Devils wrapped up non-conference play in impressive fashion at MassMutual Center in Springfield, winning by double digits at a venue only 25 miles from the campus of their opponent. Joining the front court duo in scoring double figures were guard Alston Mason (13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) and guard/forward BJ Freeman (11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds), who each contributed to the win in many facets. Adam Miller and Joson Sanon each hit a pair of threes to help lift the Sun Devils to their seventh win in their past eight games.
Second Half Surge
– The trio of of guard/forward BJ Freeman, guard Alston Mason, and forward Basheer Jihad combined for 34 points on 11-of-16 (68.8%) shooting in the second half after accounting for 10 points on 4-of-12 (33%) from the field in the first half.
– After going 3-of-12 from three in the first half, ASU went 5-of-8 after the break.
– ASU took 14 free throws in the second half after taking only 2 in the first.
– The Sun Devils shot 15-of-28 (53.6%) in the second half
Run Away
Arizona State sealed the win thanks to a 13-0 run in the second half. After UMass took a 46-41 lead with 12:58 left in the game, the Sun Devils took over from there. ASU went on a 13-0 run over the next 1:36 to turn a five-point deficit into an eight-point lead. During the final 13 minutes of the game, Arizona State outscored UMass 37-16.
Shutting them Down
The Sun Devil defense turned it up a notch down the stretch, completely controlling the UMass offense. The Minutemen finished with making a field goal over the final 6:52 of the game. They went 0-for-5 and 1-for-7 from the field to end the contest.
Neutralizing the Opponent
Arizona State continues their success under Bobby Hurley at neutral sites. ASU picks up their fifth neutral site win of the season already. The Sun Devils have defeated four teams that won 20+ games in neutral settings already in 2024-25 (Saint Mary’s, Grand Canyon, Santa Clara, New Mexico). Three were 2024 NCAA Tournament participants. ASU has now won 18 games overall under Hurley in neutral games. That includes past wins over NC State, Kansas State, St. John’s, Mississippi State, Xavier, Michigan, Utah State, New Mexico, Saint Mary’s, and Creighton.
Fantastic Front Line
The Sun Devil forward combination of Jayden Quaintance and Basheer Jihad were too much for UMass to handle. The duo contributed in many ways to the victory. They accounted for 39 points, 19 rebounds, seven blocks, and four steals while shooting 16-of-26 (61.5%) from the field.
Block Party
Freshman Jayden Quaintance added four more rejections and has recorded 38 blocks thus far in the 2024-2025 season, which was the second-most of any player in the nation coming into the game. He has already surpassed Pac-12 career blocks leader Jordan Bachynski on the ASU freshman single-season blocks list. Quaintance has the second-most blocks in a single season by a freshman in program history and has done it in only ten games. He has two or more blocks in all 11 games this year, including six 4+ block performances.
Up Next
Arizona State will begin the Big 12 era with a matchup at BYU on Dec. 31 at 2 PM MST. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2. This will be the second straight year the two programs have met. The last time the Sun Devils traveled to Provo was back during the 2009 season. This is the first of two games with the Cougars, who come to Tempe later in February.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Connor Smith
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