After a disappointing loss to No. 3 Iowa State in Tempe, Arizona State arrived in Colorado with no margin for error Tuesday night. The Sun Devils (12-8, 3-6 Big 12) edged out a 70-68 win against a struggling CU (9-11, 0-9 Big 12) team at the CU Events Center.
The thin Sun Devil men’s basketball rotation became even thinner with freshman forward Jayden Quaintance ruled out with an ankle injury. Quaintance did not make the trip to Boulder. Senior guard BJ Freeman lasted only four minutes before he left with his own injury.
A series of errors nearly cost ASU the game down the stretch. Senior guard Adam Miller missed a pair of free throws to put the game away with a five-point lead. Instead, the Buffaloes had a look to tie the game at 69 with a 3-pointer. Junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. compounded Miller’s errors with a horrific foul on a missed 3-pointer from freshman forward Sebastian Rancik. He missed the first free throw but made the next two, cutting the Sun Devil lead to 69-68.
On the inbound play, Miller caught an outlet pass from senior forward Basheer Jihad. Miller pivoted to make a pass down the court but the official called him for a traveling violation and Miller was smacked in the face on the play. Phillips Jr. swatted CU’s first shot into the stands and then collected a rebound on another missed 3-pointer from Rancik and the Sun Devils hung on.
HUGE BLOCK by @shawnphillipsj1
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) January 29, 2025
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Essentially restricted to a six-player rotation, it became all hands on deck for coach Bobby Hurley’s squad. Despite his errors late, Miller contributed 18 points with four 3-point makes. Senior guard Alston Mason added 17 points.
Phillips Jr. was the hero of the night. His 13 points and nine rebounds were a welcome solution to the missing production of Quaintance. Despite his foul nearly costing ASU the game, his rim protection and physicality in the paint kept the Sun Devils afloat in an ugly second half.
Whether it was the altitude or the thin rotation, Hurley’s squad limped to the finish. The team turned the ball over 17 times which Colorado turned into 28 of its 68 points. It marked the third straight game in which the Sun Devils turned the ball over 15 or more times.
After a shaky stretch, Arizona State’s defense has started to correct itself. The first half of the Iowa State game showed signs of promise but the collapse in that game allowed old warts to reappear. On Tuesday night, Colorado shot 43% from the field and struggled mightily from beyond the arc, shooting just 4-17.
Freshman guard Joson Sanon continued to struggle in his return. He finished with just two points. Teams have adjusted to his shooting range by forcing him to attack on the dribble. Colorado crowded him at times on the catch, causing some panic for the freshman. For sustained success, the Sun Devils will need to find more creative ways to get Sanon better looks.
The key road win kept Arizona State’s season from spiraling too far out of control. Now, the team returns to Tempe for an enormous challenge. ASU will face its rival Arizona Wildcats Saturday in Tempe at 11 a.m. MST.
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