By Adam Beadle
Multimedia Specialist
Arizona State’s inability to play with intensity throughout the full 40 minutes of a basketball game this season cost it to fall in yet another game it could graze with the tips of its fingers.
Freshman forward Jayden Quaintance had not one but two chances to put the game away for the Sun Devils. Yet, the moment was too daunting for the star-studded addition to ASU’s roster this season, leading Kansas State to a slim 71-70 victory over the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devil’s loss Tuesday marks the first time ASU has lost five consecutive conference games since the 2006 season.
“I was shocked that, you know, we had a chance to win,” head coach Bobby Hurley said. “[Quaintance] has had such a great season for us, such a young player. It's a lot to put on his shoulders to, you know, to make those [free throws] at that moment. But there were a lot of other things that happened that we would have been in a better position to win this game.”
ASU was in prime position to run away with the game from the jump by going on a 15-0 run out of the gates and nailing down 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. However, ASU’s hot start would cool down after going just 4-of-19 from 3-point range throughout the rest of the first half.
“I feel like towards the first half, it kind of was settling for threes a lot, but they were wide open,” senior guard Alston Mason said. “It's weird because it's like, that's a shot we want. You want [freshman guard Joson Sanon] shooting a wide-open three. You want [freshman guard Ameir Ali] shooting a wide-open three. You want these guys shooting wide-open threes. So, you know, it just comes down to stepping up. You know, all of us got to step up and stick together. Only way you gonna win a Big 12 game.”
Sanon has not kicked back into gear for ASU since the beginning of December, only shooting 1-of-5 from the perimeter along with Ali in Tuesday’s loss.
“He's a work in progress right now, to get him to where he was before the injury,” Hurley said. “He's just not there. The shots are not going in at the level that they were prior [to the injury]. He had a couple of defensive mistakes too. So we all got to get better.”
The Sun Devils found themselves in a pit out going into halftime, with KSU gaining the lead and ASU looking lost defensively, something Miller said Hurley was mad at them about during the break.
“I know it’s hard on him because I bet he wishes he can go out and play for us sometimes,” Miller said in-game struggles. “It's just a collective thing right now, you know like it's not like we lose him by 20 or lose in close games. So we’re all trying to figure it out together and just kind of keep our spirits high and stick together.”
Though the Sun Devils struggled throughout the beginning of the second half, they received a slap of energy when senior guard Adam Miller was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul after reportedly making contact with KSU junior guard Dug McDaniel's face.
ASU was able to build a comeback and take its first lead since the first half, but Quaintance's missed dunk and two free throws cost the Sun Devils.
Despite all three members of ASU’s freshman trio struggling, Miller said he still believes his teammates are improving.
“I think the freshmen are getting better at those situations,” Miller said. “Understanding how each possession works during the end of the game, and it comes down to our seniors too stepping up a little bit, trying to coach them a little bit more and little more leadership out there.”
While time may still be of the essence for the Sun Devil’s young stars, time is running out for ASU as a team to turn things around and improve.
Hurley said he’s unsure what else he can do.
“We're right there,” Hurley said. “We're knocking on the door in all these games and we just, can't figure out a way to get over the top. So, you know, I'll have to really think hard about that. I've tried to do the best job I can with this team, and I'm not getting through to them enough, and it's not going well.”
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