PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Basheer Jihad scored 20 points, Joson Sanon added 19 and Arizona State blew a 13-point point lead before the Sun Devils beat New Mexico 85-82 Thursday night at the Acrisure Classic.
BJ Freeman scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half for Arizona State (6-1). Alston Mason made 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the final 23 seconds and finished with 11 points.
Donovan Dent had a season-best 30 points and seven assists for New Mexico (5-2) and Mustapha Amzil scored a career-high 28 points. CJ Noland added 13 points.
Jihad hit a 3-pointer and, after a New Mexico turnover, Freeman made another 3 to give Arizona State a five-point lead with 1:25 to play.
Arizona State, which has won four games in a row since an 88-80 loss and then-No. 6 Gonzaga on Nov. 10, plays Saint Mary’s in the championship game on Friday. New Mexico takes on Southern California, which lost to the Gaels earlier Thursday, in the consolation game.
Sanon hit a 3-pointer that gave Arizona State a 13-point lead with 5:48 left in the first half. Noland answered with a 3 — New Mexico’s first made field goal in nearly-6 minutes — to spark a 19-3 run to close the first half as Arizona State went scoreless for the final 5-plus minutes.
Freeman made two pairs of free throws to cap an 11-2 run by Arizona State that made it 62-all with 7:53 to play — the first of seven ties and five lead changes down the stretch.
Sanon converted a three-point play to give the Sun Devils a 66-65 lead, their first of the second half, with 6:24 to play.
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