ASU BASKETBALL

Scoring droughts again plague ASU in loss at Cincinnati

Jan 18, 2025, 2:29 PM | Updated: 3:41 pm

ASU lost to Cincinnati...

Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils reacts at referee Randy McCall after a foul call during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Desert Financial Arena on January 11, 2025 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

ASU’s tendency to go several minutes at a time without a basket again proved to be a venomous bite, as it fell at Cincinnati 67-60 on Saturday.

After a 22-point first half, the shorthanded Sun Devils made a game of it, as Joson Sanon (ankle) remained out and Shawn Phillips Jr. picked up four fouls in seven minutes. All five starters played at least 33 minutes as a result.

“To score 22 points is not good enough on the road. We have to climb all the way back in it to even have a chance,” Bobby Hurley told reporters postgame. “We have to learn how to put 40 minutes together, and we didn’t come close tonight, especially with how we played offense in the first half.”

Facing a 17-point deficit early in the second half against one of the best defensive teams in the country, ASU used 15-2 run to claw back with 3s from each of Alston Mason, BJ Freeman and Adam Miller. They combined to hit all six of the team’s 3s (22 attempts) in the game.

Down the stretch of the ASU run, Cincinnati began its own drought of nearly nine minutes without a made field goal (12 consecutive misses). The Sun Devils were unable to capitalize after several looks from close range that wouldn’t go.

Three late turnovers by Cincinnati gave ASU a chance at a miracle comeback, but it never got closer than a five-point game with 38 seconds left.

The Sun Devils (10-7, 1-5) have now lost four straight and their NCAA tournament hopes are dwindling, entering the day as one of Joe Lunardi’s next four out, the same category as the Bearcats.

First half struggles again ail ASU

The Sun Devils again struggled to find early offense, as their first bucket came 3:10 in. Later in the first half brought a 6:42 drought that saw Cincinnati take advantage, turning a three-point ASU lead into a 13-point deficit.

ASU would fight back to make it a four-point game late in the half before the Bearcats again separated, ending the half with a 14-point lead.

Slow starts have plagued ASU, leaving its defense to make up for poor offense, which doesn’t work well when it takes an effective press defense from a shorthanded group unable to sustain long stretches of the press.

Sanon’s absence has emphasized the team’s need for self-creation, and his team had other health scares in the loss: Freeman took a hard fall and had his knee landed on, initially exiting before returning along with a rolled ankle late from Mason, who stayed in.

Hurley said he thinks Freeman “just gutted out and is going to be really sore tomorrow.”

“Appreciate that he came back and gave us whatever he could … because we’re super thin right now until we get Sanon back,” Hurley said. “We really are counting on, like, seven guys, and that may not be enough.”

Hurley added he considered putting in midseason acquisition Trevor Best for his debut when Freeman went down. Best, however, has only practiced “four times,” so Hurley concluded it would’ve been unfair to the player.

ASU has another tough road test coming up against West Virginia on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MST before coming home to play No. 2 Iowa State next Saturday.

ASU Basketball

Tempe brewery NIL...

Arizona Sports

Tempe brewery signs sponsorship and NIL deal with ASU

Tempe-based Huss Brewing Co. announced it has signed a multifaceted sponsorship deal with Arizona State University, which includes the creation of a Sun Devil specific ale.

2 hours ago

Bobby Hurley...

Damon Allred

ASU AD Graham Rossini agrees Bobby Hurley’s handling of Arizona loss was unacceptable

Arizona State AD Graham Rossini on Thursday was critical of how men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley handled Saturday's loss to Arizona.

1 day ago

ASU...

Damon Allred

Kansas State loss the latest example of ASU basketball coming up just short

ASU's unbreakable habit of losing winnable games continued on Tuesday, as it again came up just short in a loss to Kansas State.

3 days ago

Arizona State Guard Adam Miller vs. GCU on Nov. 14, 2024. (Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)...

Lance Hartzler

ASU’s Adam Miller ejected after reportedly slapping a Kansas State player

Arizona State guard Adam Miller was ejected from Tuesday night's basketball game against Kansas State after he was assessed a flagrant 2 foul after he reportedly slapped Wildcat guard Dug McDaniel.

3 days ago

Arizona State...

Alex Weiner

Missed free throws bury ASU basketball vs. Kansas State

A pair of missed free throws by Jayden Quaintance in the final seconds clinched a loss for Arizona State basketball against Kansas State.

3 days ago

Jayden Quaintance...

Lance Hartzler

Arizona State stifles Kansas State offense with 15-0 opening run

The Arizona State men's basketball team got off to a blistering 15-0 start against Kansas State Tuesday night in Tempe.

3 days ago

Scoring droughts again plague ASU in loss at Cincinnati