(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)
A little less than 20 days ago, freshman center Jayden Quaintance missed not one, but two free throws with 4.1 seconds left in the game and the Sun Devils trailing by one, resulting in a 71-70 loss to the Kansas State Wildcats.
Fast forward to Saturday, and ASU men’s basketball was in the midst of a six-game losing streak, having lost four consecutive since the Kansas State loss. When it was reported this morning that senior forward BJ Freeman had been “dismissed” from the team, a season with many “season lows,” had found a new one.
Today, however, they were given another chance at the Wildcats, this time on the road, where ASU has had more success than at home. With the opportunity to clear the air, move past the drama, and unleash some of their pent-up aggression against a team that has had their number as of late.
They would do exactly that, and in a game that began with very low expectations for a good performance, the Sun Devils appeared more cohesive as a team and as a unit than they have since the start of the season. Quaintance, who missed both free throws in ASU’s loss a few weeks earlier, was the difference in a defensively dominant game in which the Sun Devils defeated the Cougars, 66-54.
Here are a few takeaways from the win.
Quaintances Big Day
Not only did Quaintance miss the game-tying and game-winning free throws against Kansas State a few weeks ago, but he also had a 1-for-7 night from the field and a 1-for-6 night from the free throw line, totaling only three points in the game. It became part of a downhill spiral that has included an injury and poor scoring nights since.
Quaintance was the least efficient scorer in that game. Today, he was by far the most effective, scoring 18 points in a game in which he appeared to be in perfect control. Quaintance’s inability to stretch the court effectively has stifled his offensive game this season. Today, his first three made shots were all jumpers, with two of them three-pointers.
Half of Quaintance’s made shots were jumpers, and his ability to hit long-range shots opened up his inside game, resulting in not only an effective but also efficient night offensively, going 8-for-11 from the field and 2-for-4 from long range.
From scoring 0 points in a loss to No.5 Houston to 18 points against a team he was held to just three against a few weeks ago, it was a more than impressive performance for the country’s youngest college basketball player. Quaintance’s ability to learn from his mistakes and grow his game has helped him become a standout positive in this Sun Devil season.
Defense for the win
The Sun Devils haven’t been as poor of a defensive squad this season as they appear on paper, as injuries and one of the toughest schedules in the country have certainly inflated their average. Several of their victories, notably their upset win over then-No.23 West Virginia, have been due to their defense.
That would be the case again today, as the Cougars shot just 26.5% in the second half and 33.3% overall. Kansas State simply could not get a jump shot to fall, and, like Quaintance against the Cougars the previous time out, limited the offensive game plan they were able to put together all game long.
Kansas State shot just 19.2% from three point land compared to ASU’s 36% mark. Their inability to do much from beyond the arc, while Quaintance, who had only four made three pointers on the season coming into today, made his first two attempts from that mark, ultimately made for a game they just couldn’t climb back into.
ASU was also able to adjust and limit some of the players who were effective against the Sun Devils last time out. The Cougars were missing senior guard Coleman Hawkins today, who had 11 points in the previous Kansas State win, senior guard Max Jones and junior guard Brendan Hausen, who had 27 combined points, combined for only ten today. A 28-point swing in points between the three.
Where does ASU go from here
For a team that has had little to cheer about all season, with injuries destroying momentum, their devastating loss after devastating loss have practically banned the words “moral victory” from any sort of postgame press conference or piece of media. Alongside consistent drama that has resulted in a player being removed from the team, a win today felt like a breath of fresh air.
Prior to today, it appeared that head coach Bobby Hurley had run out of explanations for why the Sun Devils continued to lose, stating unequivocally that losing teams find ways to lose and winning teams find ways to win. The players’ frustration on and off the court had clearly demonstrated that anger to simply want to just win a basketball game.
Now ASU must go forward without its leading scorer in Freeman, a similar situation to last year when the team lost guard Jose Perez down the stretch after he left to play professional basketball in the Dominican Republic.
The Sun Devils won a basketball game today, and what may appear to be a meaningless late-season win to some, meant a lot more to some of those involved in this string of losses in the month of February.
