PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Basheer Jihad scored 20 points, Joson Sanon added 19 and Arizona State blew a 13-point point lead before the Sun Devils beat New Mexico 85-82 Thursday night at the Acrisure Classic.
BJ Freeman scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half for Arizona State (6-1). Alston Mason made 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the final 23 seconds and finished with 11 points.
Donovan Dent had a season-best 30 points and seven assists for New Mexico (5-2) and Mustapha Amzil scored a career-high 28 points. CJ Noland added 13 points.
Jihad hit a 3-pointer and, after a New Mexico turnover, Freeman made another 3 to give Arizona State a five-point lead with 1:25 to play.
Arizona State, which has won four games in a row since an 88-80 loss and then-No. 6 Gonzaga on Nov. 10, plays Saint Mary's in the championship game on Friday. New Mexico takes on Southern California, which lost to the Gaels earlier Thursday, in the consolation game.
Sanon hit a 3-pointer that gave Arizona State a 13-point lead with 5:48 left in the first half. Noland answered with a 3 — New Mexico's first made field goal in nearly six minutes — to spark a 19-3 run to close the first half as Arizona State went scoreless for the final five-plus minutes.
Freeman made two pairs of free throws to cap an 11-2 run by Arizona State that made it 62-all with 7:53 to play — the first of seven ties and five lead changes down the stretch.
Sanon converted a three-point play to give the Sun Devils a 66-65 lead, their first of the second half, with 6:24 to play.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
12Sports on YouTube
Get the latest news and stories from 12Sports on the 12News YouTube channel. And don't forget to subscribe!
