Nov 10, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley sends in a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Basheer Jihad had 20 points and Joson Sanon added 19 to lead Arizona State to an 85-82 victory over New Mexico in a semifinal game of the Acrisure Invitational on Thursday night in Palm Desert, California.
Arizona State (6-1) will play Saint Mary’s in the championship game on Friday. New Mexico (5-2) faces Southern California in the consolation game.
Jihad and BJ Freeman hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give Arizona State an 80-75 lead with 1:25 left.
New Mexico’s Mustapha Amzil followed with two free throws with 1:00 left. Alston Mason responded with two free throws for Arizona State to put the Sun Devils ahead 82-77 with 23 seconds left.
Donovan Dent, who led New Mexico with 30 points and seven assists, then drove to the basket and scored with 15 seconds left.
After Jihad made one of two free throws, Amzil hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 83-82 with 4 seconds left.
Mason, who scored 11 points, was fouled a second later and made both free throws.
Amzil missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. He finished with 28 points and eight rebounds.
Freeman scored 16 points on a 7-of-8 performance at the free throw line.
In the game, 47 fouls were called, which led to 64 free throw attempts. Arizona State made 24 of 32 shots from the free throw line and New Mexico made 28 of 32.
New Mexico closed the first half on a 16-1 run to take a 37-34 halftime lead.
Amzil scored 17 points in the first half, with 5 of 9 field goals and 2 of 4 triples. He made all five of his free throws.
The Lobos extended the run to 21-1 early in the second half on a three-pointer by CJ Noland and a dunk by Tru Washington. New Mexico led 42-34 with 18:10 left after Washington’s dunk.
The Lobos took a 60-51 lead with 10:04 remaining after Amzil made four free throws following technical fouls separated by just seven seconds by Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr. and coach Bobby Hurley.
Arizona State scored the next seven points, five of them from Jihad, to cut the lead to 60-58 with 9:04 left.
After that point, neither team led by more than four points as they had seven ties and five lead changes before Freeman’s 3-pointer with 1:25 left.
–Field level media
