ASU Joson Sanon career night not enough in 99-73 loss to Utah

Syndication: Arizona Republic

PHOENIX – Arizona State men’s basketball ran out of gas. Through the last few weeks, ASU has had its arm cut off, losing senior BJ Freeman, and its leg chopped, having freshman center Jayden Quaintance in and out of the lineup. Entering tonight’s game against Utah, it would be without another key part of the rotation, as senior guard Adam Miller was listed out with an illness.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

ASU was hopping into Salt Lake City shorthanded and drained through the turbulence of the last few weeks. Head coach Bobby Hurley didn’t have many options when it came to rotation, with only six scholarship players. However, it was easier with a career night from freshman guard Joson Sanon, who dropped 28 points, the most by a Sun Devils player all season.

Regardless of Sanon’s effort, Utah’s size advantage decimated an already small ASU squad. Junior forward Ezra Ausar helped lead the Utes to 48 paint points, dropping 25 points and going 11-for-14 from the free throw line. ASU kept it close in the first half, but with fatigue from the limited rotation and foul trouble, Utah blew the game open in the second half, outscoring its opponent by 27 points in the 99-73 win.

Sanon came out of the gates swinging from deep. The freshman dropped 18 of ASU’s first 29 points and shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. It tied his highest point total since December 3rd, and Sanon did it in the first 12 minutes. The Fall River, Mass. native led a Sun Devils 3-point attack that shot 58.3% from the perimeter.

Despite Sanon being a flamethrower, the Utes remained close throughout the first half. ASU’s lead never exceeded seven, as Utah dominated the paint. Of the Utes’ 41 first-half points, 28 came within the paint while shooting 13-14 on layups and dunks. The Sun Devils were without freshman center Jayden Quaintance, and as a result, their paint defense suffered immensely. Ausar led the way for the Utes with 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field, getting to the line four times.

After halftime, it got ugly quickly. Junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. and senior forward Basheer Jihad got into early foul trouble. Losing the duo meant ASU had no size to combat Utah, and it took full advantage of the mismatch. The Utes shot 55.7% from the field and got to the free throw line 18 times, as the Sun Devils had no other options. Ausar duplicated his production in the second half, as the 6’8 forward was crushing the undersize Sun Devils.

ASU went from its light-out shooting in the first half to shooting 31% from the field. Sanon tried to muster his team to compete offensively. However, once Utah went on a 13-0 run, ASU had no response.

The Sun Devils ran out of gas in Salt Lake City, making it back-to-back losses and falling to 13-16. ASU has nothing to be ashamed of, as the injuries surrounding this team have made finishing the season almost impossible.

Arizona State’s X-factor for tonight’s game against Utah

*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*

Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports