Arizona State’s Basheer Jihad and Joson Sanon led the team to an 85-82 victory over New Mexico in an Acrisure Invitational. Jihad had 20 points and Sanon added 19 points in the semifinal game. The Sun Devils will face Saint Mary’s in the championship game while New Mexico will play against Southern California in the consolation game.
The game was intense, with 47 fouls called resulting in 64 free-throw attempts. Arizona State made 24 of 32 shots from the free-throw line, while New Mexico sank 28 of 32. New Mexico initially took the lead at halftime but Arizona State fought back in the second half with consecutive 3-pointers by Jihad and BJ Freeman to secure the win.
Donovan Dent led New Mexico with 30 points and seven assists, but it was not enough to overcome Arizona State’s strong performance. Mustapha Amzil also stood out with 28 points and eight rebounds for New Mexico. The game had seven ties and five lead changes before Arizona State took the lead with Freeman’s 3-pointer.
Overall, it was an exciting and competitive game between both teams. Arizona State’s victory sets them up for a challenging matchup against Saint Mary’s in the championship game, while New Mexico will look to bounce back in the consolation game against Southern California.
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