ASU men’s basketball rallies back from 15-point deficit but falls to Baylor in overtime

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The Arizona State men’s basketball team got a crack at one of the Big 12 bluebloods earlier this week when it traveled to Kansas. That did not go well.

Another one of the conference’s premier brands stopped into Desert Financial Arena on Saturday and that did not go well either as the Sun Devils lost at home for the first time this season — falling to Baylor 72-66 in overtime.

ASU (10-5, 1-3) trailed by as many as 15 points, that deficit coming at 44-29, but ASU rallied back and evened the game at 61-61 on a driving layup by Adam Miller with 1.9 seconds left in regulation.

Baylor (11-4, 3-1) had control in the extra five minutes, however. ASU was just 2-for-10 from the field in overtime. It missed its first six shots with Alston Mason finally getting a bucket that cut the deficit to 69-63. Baylor secured it from there.

Baylor shot 43% (25-for-58) and was led by Miami transfer Norchad Omier with 19 points and eight rebounds. VJ Edgecombe, considered by many an NBA lottery pick, added 15.

Arizona State Sun Devils guard Joson Sanon (3) reacts in overtime against the Baylor Bears at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Jan. 11, 2025.

ASU was led by B.J. Freeman with 22 points. Mason added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Jayden Quaintance had a team-high eight rebounds with two blocks.

What went right

Defensive pressure generated points: ASU was able to race back in the second half because of its defensive pressure which resulted in points at the other end. The Sun Devils forced 16 turnovers and ended up with a 22-4 advantage in fast-break points. With the half-court offense struggling, those points allowed ASU to chip away at the lead and force overtime.

Defended pretty well: The Bears came in averaging 86 points per game and ASU held them well under that — even with the overtime. ASU forced 16 turnovers and scored 19 points off those turnovers, which was a factor in getting back in the game.

What went wrong

Got off to a slow start: The Sun Devils trailed 32-20 at the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/asu-mens-basketball-rallies-back-142854073.html

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2025-01-12 14:28:00

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