ASU basketball gives No. 6 Gonzaga a big fight but falls short

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

No. 6 Gonzaga holds off Arizona State and remains undefeated

Khalif Battle scored all 19 points in the second half as No. 6 Gonzaga escaped a surprise offense and beat Arizona State 88-80 in a nonconference game in Spokane, Wash., on Sunday.

Braden Huff came off the bench to score 21 points for the Bulldogs (2-0). Guard Ryan Nembhard posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists, and Michael Ajayi had nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Nolan Hickman and Graham Ike each scored nine goals.

Basheer Jihad led the Sun Devils (2-1) with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Alston Mason added 19 points and BJ Freeman scored 12. Freshman Jayden Quaintance, the youngest player in college basketball at 17, scored nine points in the first half but did not attempt a shot in the second half before scoring in the last made a foul in the minute.

Gonzaga shot 50 percent from the field (31 of 62), was 8 of 24 from 3-point range and dominated bench scoring (36-19) and fast break points (19-9). ASU shot 47.6 percent (30 of 63) from the floor and was 9 of 29 from long range.

Battle scored two game-winning baskets in the final 10 minutes.

With the Bulldogs trailing, Huff dove to the ground for a steal at midfield and got the ball to Nembhard. He looked ahead and found Battle for an alley-oop dunk that tied the score at 63-48 with 8:48 left and sent the crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center into a frenzy.

With 2:52 left, Nembhard found a wide open battle in the left corner and knocked down a three-pointer to put Gonzaga up 78-73. As the game progressed, ASU never got closer than four points.

Battle added four free throws in the final 19 seconds to clinch the victory.

After a back-and-forth affair in the first half, the score was 38:30.

The Sun Devils opened the game with a 7-1 run, only to see Gonzaga take the lead with a 12-4 run.

A 3-pointer from Dusty Stromer gave the Bulldogs a 31-23 lead with 5:34 left in the half before an 11-0 run by Arizona State put the Sun Devils back in front.

ASU’s Amier Ali grabbed a long offensive rebound and made a jumper from the free throw line to tie the score at the end of the half.

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