March 22, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; St. Mary’s Gaels head coach Randy Bennett during the second half of the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Grand Canyon Antelopes at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory credits: Kirby Lee-Imagn images Joson Sanon scored 19 points and Jayden Quaintance had 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists as Arizona State defeated previously undefeated Saint Mary’s 68-64 to win the Acrisure Classic championship on Friday in Palm Springs, California.
Adam Miller and BJ Freeman each recorded 11 points for the Sun Devils (7-1), who went 5 of 18 from 3-point range and 7 of 12 at the free-throw line. Sanon, who also scored 19 points in the Sun Devils’ semifinal win over New Mexico on Thursday, posted another strong effort, shooting 8 of 16 from the field (and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc) with no turnovers .
Jordan Ross scored 19 points to pace the Gaels (7-1), who knocked down 8 of 17 3-point attempts but missed 6 of 12 free throw attempts. Augustas Marciulionis scored 13 points, and Mitchell Saxen had 10 points and nine rebounds.
The score was tied at 60-60 when Miller knocked down a 3-pointer with just over three minutes to play. Paulius Murauskas’ putback brought Saint Mary’s within a point, but Quaintance countered with a putback to restore the three-point cushion.
Basheer Jihad split two free throws with 14 seconds left to make it 66-62 before Marciulionas dropped a runner with three seconds left to cut Arizona State’s lead to 66-64. However, Alston Mason went 2-for-2 from the line and took the win.
With 3:50 left in the first half, Ross made a 3-pointer and dished out a pair of free throws a minute later as Saint Mary’s pushed its lead to 31-22. However, Arizona State responded with eight straight points, including four from Quaintance, to cut the deficit to one.
Saint Mary’s Mikey Lewis answered with a 3-pointer in the final minute, but Quaintance’s bucket in the waning seconds pulled the Sun Devils within 34-32 at halftime.
Neither team led by more than three in the second half until Sanon’s triple put the Gaels ahead 46-40 with 12:56 remaining. However, Luke Barrett answered with a three-pointer, creating an exciting battle.
–Field-level media
