PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — In an exciting finish to the Acrisure Classic championship game on Friday night, Arizona State emerged victorious with a score of 68-64 against Saint Mary’s. Freshman Joson Sanon led the Sun Devils with 19 points, while teammate Jayden Quaintance made a crucial offensive rebound and scored with just 40 seconds remaining to help secure the win for Arizona State.
In the closing moments, Basheer Jihad contributed with a free throw and Alston Mason sealed the game by sinking two free throws with only 2 seconds left, keeping Arizona State’s record at 7-1 and handing Saint Mary’s (7-1) their first defeat of the season.
Key plays included Quaintance dishing off to Adam Miller for a three-pointer that gave the Sun Devils a 63-60 lead with 3:04 on the clock. Saint Mary’s responded with a tip-in from Paulius Murauskas, narrowing the gap to one point with 2:16 remaining. Neither team scored in the following possessions until Quaintance grabbed another offensive rebound and scored, putting Arizona State ahead 65-62.
Sanon showcased his shooting ability, going 8 for 16 from the field, including three from beyond the three-point line. Quaintance had an impressive game with 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Both Adam Miller and BJ Freeman contributed 11 points each, with Freeman also pulling down eight rebounds.
On the other side, Jordan Ross led Saint Mary’s with 19 points, along with seven rebounds and four assists. Augustas Marciulionis added 13 points, while Mitchell Saxen contributed 10 points and nine rebounds. Murauskas also made an impact with nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out.
Ross’s strong performance in the first half, scoring 14 points, helped give Saint Mary’s a slight edge going into halftime with a 34-32 lead.
Overall, Arizona State shot 46% from the field but struggled with their three-point shooting, converting only 5 of 18 attempts, and went 7 for 12 at the free-throw line. Saint Mary’s recorded a shooting percentage of 41.7%, nailing 8 of 17 long-range shots, yet they also faced challenges at the free-throw line, making just 6 of 12 attempts.