TEMPE– Sun Devil Men's Basketball remained in the valley to take on Houston at Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday night.
Arizona State (12-14, 3-12) faced a tough challenge against No. 5 Houston (22-4, 14-1) and the nation's No. 1 scoring defense, falling 80-65. The Sun Devils originally trailed 76-53 with six minutes remaining, but persevered and managed to put together an 11-0 scoring run to bring their deficit within 12. Though Arizona State could not ultimately complete the comeback, there were still several bright spots in the loss.
Alston Mason and BJ Freeman continue to score a high level and were the key contributors to keeping the Sun Devils alive in tonight's contest. Alston Mason had a season-high for the Sun Devils, finishing the night with 26 points, while connecting on 8-of-9 from the field and shooting 6-of-7 from the line. BJ Freeman ended the night with 17 points, while connecting on 5-of-11 from the field, and cleaning the glass for four boards.
The Sun Devils are set to travel to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on February 23rd.
From the Stripe
Over the past four games, Arizona State's ability to knock down shots from the free throw line has been a bright spot. The Sun Devils are a combined 65-of-82 (79.3%) from the line despite being on the road in hostile environments in two of those games. The backcourt of Alston Mason and Joson Sanon have combined to go 26-of-28 (92.9%) from the stripe. Mason has made his last 30 of his past 31 free throws dating back to the Iowa State game. Amier Ali is shooting 86.6% (26-of-30) at the line in Big 12 games and is 11-for-12 in the last four games. Mason is on pace to finish with one of the Top-10 seasons in program history from the stripe.
Single-Season Free Throw Percentage
89.7 – DJ Horne, 2022 (35-39)
87.7 – Bryson Krueger, 2006
87.5 – Rihards Kuksiks, 2010
87.5 – Chris Beasley, 1984
87.4 – Stevin Smith, 1992
86.3 – Derek Glasser, 2010
86.3 – Alex Austin, 1989
85.9 – James Holliman, 1977
85.3 – Shannon Evans II, 2018
84.4 - Alston Mason, 2025 (76-90)
84.1 – Derek Glasser, 2008
84.0 – Isaac Burton, 1994
84.0 – Rick Taylor, 1978
Shawn Stuffs
Through his first 17 games, junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. collected seven blocks. Over his past seven games, he has emerged as a rim protector, recording 17 blocks (2.4 per game).
Mr. Reliable
Senior guard Alston Mason has been a steady presence in the lineup for Head Coach Bobby Hurley at point guard. Mason has led the team in minutes in 21 of the 26 games and has played 38+ minutes on nine occasions, including another full 40 minutes of action on Saturday against TCU. He averages 36.3 minutes per game, ranking second behind West Virginia's Javon Small (36.4) for the most in the Big 12 and also Top-20 nationally (16th). Mason is also shooting a team-high 84.4% from the free-throw line, which is 7th in the Big 12.
Alston Mason Top Sun Devil Scoring Games
26 vs. Houston (2/18/25)*
25 at Oklahoma State (2/9/25)*
19 at Kansas (1/8/25)*
19 vs. Grand Canyon in Phoenix (11/14/24)
19 at Gonzaga (11/10/24)
17 at Colorado (1/28/25)*
16 at Texas Tech (2/12/25)*
15 vs. UCF (1/14/25)*
*six of his Top-8 scoring outputs have come against Big 12 Conference competition.
First Half:
Jayden Quainatance found BJ Freeman alone under the basket for an easy reverse layup to kick things off for the Sun Devils, trailing 3-2 to the Cougars. After Hiouston managed to put together a 7-0 scoring run, Alston Mason pulled the trigger from deep with a defender's hand in his face and knocked it down. Arizona State trailed 10-5 with 15:33 remaining in the first.
Amier Ali shook his defender outside of the key and found Alston Mason on the cut for an easy layup at the rim, bringing the Sun Devils deficit within two. ASU remained steadfast with Houston as they headed into a timeout while being down 17-13, with 11:55 left to play before the half.
Adam Miller pulled one from way downtown to give the Sun Devils some momentum heading into the final 10 minutes of play before half, trailing 21-17 to the Cougars. Arizona State called for a timeout to formulate a game plan when Houston started to run away with the lead, now trailing 25-17 with 8:49 left on the clock.
The Sun Devils have not seemed to find any answers on stopping the Cougars fast-paced offense, hoping to chew away the 12-point deficit prior to halftime. Alston Mason and BJ Freeman have been able to keep Arizona State alive with a pair of 10 points, but are looking for other contributors down the stretch.
The Sun Devils couldn't find their footing to close out of the half and winded up trailing 47-31 to the Cougars. ASU headed into the locker room hoping to discuss a game plan that can come to fruition in order to take down No. 5 Houston.
Second Half:
The Sun Devils full-court press defense came to life when Adam Miller pick-pocketed the defender, ultimately leading to a fast-break slam by Amier Ali, leaving ASU trailing 64-49 with 9:42 remaining in regulation.
Arizona State trailed 70-50 to Houston with just under eight minutes remaining in regulation. Alston Mason took it under his belt to lead the Sun Devils to a potential comeback for the ages.
And just like that, Alston Mason kept his promise and brought Arizona State's deficit within 14 with back-to-back treyballs. The Sun Devils trail 76-62 to the Cougars with 2:12 remaining in the ball game.
The Sun Devils ultimately fell short to the Cougars, 80-65.
Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley
Opening Statement:
"Coach Sampson is a legend in this game and in the coaching game for years and years, so it was impressive to watch one of his teams perform the way they did. I wish I could give you a million reasons why it didn't work out for us, but the bottom line is they were better than us. They have a bunch of grown men, and they really get after it on defense. It feels like there's six guys on the floor, the way they're able to put two guys on the basketball and still rotate around. I watched them in pregame warmups, and they were all talking and super engaged. We knew we would have our hands full. A lot of coaches throw around words like culture and identity, cliches and stuff. But they have it, it gets them to play really hard together and the right way."
On the fight the team showed down the stretch:
"It's one of those minor moral victories, but we've been doing that. We were just too far out of the game where we could realistically have a chance to win. But they haven't given up in any of these games, so I'm not surprised they kept trying."
On facing Houston's offense:
"It's tough. They have guys that they can throw it inside to and they hurt us in the first half with that. Cryer is a really tough matchup. We lost him and we lost Sharp some in the second half. They have shooting and they have fierce interior players that could really get stuff done. So they present a lot of issues for you. These guys hit shots late clock on you. They're a well built team, as good a team as I've seen maybe since Florida. So they're very impressive."
On Alston Mason's performance:
"He's kind of been this way since the Arizona game. He's been trying to offensively put us on his back some when we need it, and he's had a really good four or five game stretch. He's been good all year, but he's bumped his level up just a little bit more."
Senior Guard Alston Mason
On the increase of team fouls over the recent stretch:
"A lot of it comes from passion and just wanting to win. I think a lot of it also comes from the fact that we know our team and what we're capable of. When we start to lose the game a little bit and things get a bit out of control, we can sometimes lose our emotions. I think we've seen that over the past couple of games and we gotta do a better job of being more composed and staying more poised in certain situations."
On who he leans on for advice:
"No one except for the people in the locker room. You know I'm here with the team all the time trying to figure out different ways we can try to do something to win or tweak this thing a bit to win so all of the guys in the locker room – that's who I believe in."
On how he helps his younger teammate Joson Sanon through struggling to get back into a groove:
"As a freshman it gets hard. Especially when you see us losing and then your shot might not be falling; I think Joson has to just find a different way to bring something else to the game. Once that happens, then it's going to take the pressure off of thinking, 'Oh I've got to make this shot'. I feel like sometimes if you don't make a shot you can put a little more pressure on yourself to make the next shot, because I was the same way. I think he's just in that kind of phase, but when he figures out, 'Hey, if I start off with a couple of rebounds or a steal, this could get me going and then my shots are going to come and get a little bit easier'.
Up Next
Sun Devil Men's Basketball returns on the road to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on February 23rd at 2:00 p.m. MST. Coverage can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).
Sun Devils on Social
For exclusive content, the latest updates, and more information on the Sun Devil Men's Basketball program, follow our X/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilHoops), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/SunDevilHoops/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Follow Coach Hurley on X (@BobbyHurley11).
Arizona State (12-14, 3-12) faced a tough challenge against No. 5 Houston (22-4, 14-1) and the nation's No. 1 scoring defense, falling 80-65. The Sun Devils originally trailed 76-53 with six minutes remaining, but persevered and managed to put together an 11-0 scoring run to bring their deficit within 12. Though Arizona State could not ultimately complete the comeback, there were still several bright spots in the loss.
Alston Mason and BJ Freeman continue to score a high level and were the key contributors to keeping the Sun Devils alive in tonight's contest. Alston Mason had a season-high for the Sun Devils, finishing the night with 26 points, while connecting on 8-of-9 from the field and shooting 6-of-7 from the line. BJ Freeman ended the night with 17 points, while connecting on 5-of-11 from the field, and cleaning the glass for four boards.
The Sun Devils are set to travel to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on February 23rd.
From the Stripe
Over the past four games, Arizona State's ability to knock down shots from the free throw line has been a bright spot. The Sun Devils are a combined 65-of-82 (79.3%) from the line despite being on the road in hostile environments in two of those games. The backcourt of Alston Mason and Joson Sanon have combined to go 26-of-28 (92.9%) from the stripe. Mason has made his last 30 of his past 31 free throws dating back to the Iowa State game. Amier Ali is shooting 86.6% (26-of-30) at the line in Big 12 games and is 11-for-12 in the last four games. Mason is on pace to finish with one of the Top-10 seasons in program history from the stripe.
Single-Season Free Throw Percentage
89.7 – DJ Horne, 2022 (35-39)
87.7 – Bryson Krueger, 2006
87.5 – Rihards Kuksiks, 2010
87.5 – Chris Beasley, 1984
87.4 – Stevin Smith, 1992
86.3 – Derek Glasser, 2010
86.3 – Alex Austin, 1989
85.9 – James Holliman, 1977
85.3 – Shannon Evans II, 2018
84.4 - Alston Mason, 2025 (76-90)
84.1 – Derek Glasser, 2008
84.0 – Isaac Burton, 1994
84.0 – Rick Taylor, 1978
Shawn Stuffs
Through his first 17 games, junior center Shawn Phillips Jr. collected seven blocks. Over his past seven games, he has emerged as a rim protector, recording 17 blocks (2.4 per game).
Mr. Reliable
Senior guard Alston Mason has been a steady presence in the lineup for Head Coach Bobby Hurley at point guard. Mason has led the team in minutes in 21 of the 26 games and has played 38+ minutes on nine occasions, including another full 40 minutes of action on Saturday against TCU. He averages 36.3 minutes per game, ranking second behind West Virginia's Javon Small (36.4) for the most in the Big 12 and also Top-20 nationally (16th). Mason is also shooting a team-high 84.4% from the free-throw line, which is 7th in the Big 12.
Alston Mason Top Sun Devil Scoring Games
26 vs. Houston (2/18/25)*
25 at Oklahoma State (2/9/25)*
19 at Kansas (1/8/25)*
19 vs. Grand Canyon in Phoenix (11/14/24)
19 at Gonzaga (11/10/24)
17 at Colorado (1/28/25)*
16 at Texas Tech (2/12/25)*
15 vs. UCF (1/14/25)*
*six of his Top-8 scoring outputs have come against Big 12 Conference competition.
First Half:
Jayden Quainatance found BJ Freeman alone under the basket for an easy reverse layup to kick things off for the Sun Devils, trailing 3-2 to the Cougars. After Hiouston managed to put together a 7-0 scoring run, Alston Mason pulled the trigger from deep with a defender's hand in his face and knocked it down. Arizona State trailed 10-5 with 15:33 remaining in the first.
Amier Ali shook his defender outside of the key and found Alston Mason on the cut for an easy layup at the rim, bringing the Sun Devils deficit within two. ASU remained steadfast with Houston as they headed into a timeout while being down 17-13, with 11:55 left to play before the half.
Adam Miller pulled one from way downtown to give the Sun Devils some momentum heading into the final 10 minutes of play before half, trailing 21-17 to the Cougars. Arizona State called for a timeout to formulate a game plan when Houston started to run away with the lead, now trailing 25-17 with 8:49 left on the clock.
The Sun Devils have not seemed to find any answers on stopping the Cougars fast-paced offense, hoping to chew away the 12-point deficit prior to halftime. Alston Mason and BJ Freeman have been able to keep Arizona State alive with a pair of 10 points, but are looking for other contributors down the stretch.
The Sun Devils couldn't find their footing to close out of the half and winded up trailing 47-31 to the Cougars. ASU headed into the locker room hoping to discuss a game plan that can come to fruition in order to take down No. 5 Houston.
Second Half:
The Sun Devils full-court press defense came to life when Adam Miller pick-pocketed the defender, ultimately leading to a fast-break slam by Amier Ali, leaving ASU trailing 64-49 with 9:42 remaining in regulation.
Arizona State trailed 70-50 to Houston with just under eight minutes remaining in regulation. Alston Mason took it under his belt to lead the Sun Devils to a potential comeback for the ages.
And just like that, Alston Mason kept his promise and brought Arizona State's deficit within 14 with back-to-back treyballs. The Sun Devils trail 76-62 to the Cougars with 2:12 remaining in the ball game.
The Sun Devils ultimately fell short to the Cougars, 80-65.
Arizona State Head Coach Bobby Hurley
Opening Statement:
"Coach Sampson is a legend in this game and in the coaching game for years and years, so it was impressive to watch one of his teams perform the way they did. I wish I could give you a million reasons why it didn't work out for us, but the bottom line is they were better than us. They have a bunch of grown men, and they really get after it on defense. It feels like there's six guys on the floor, the way they're able to put two guys on the basketball and still rotate around. I watched them in pregame warmups, and they were all talking and super engaged. We knew we would have our hands full. A lot of coaches throw around words like culture and identity, cliches and stuff. But they have it, it gets them to play really hard together and the right way."
On the fight the team showed down the stretch:
"It's one of those minor moral victories, but we've been doing that. We were just too far out of the game where we could realistically have a chance to win. But they haven't given up in any of these games, so I'm not surprised they kept trying."
On facing Houston's offense:
"It's tough. They have guys that they can throw it inside to and they hurt us in the first half with that. Cryer is a really tough matchup. We lost him and we lost Sharp some in the second half. They have shooting and they have fierce interior players that could really get stuff done. So they present a lot of issues for you. These guys hit shots late clock on you. They're a well built team, as good a team as I've seen maybe since Florida. So they're very impressive."
On Alston Mason's performance:
"He's kind of been this way since the Arizona game. He's been trying to offensively put us on his back some when we need it, and he's had a really good four or five game stretch. He's been good all year, but he's bumped his level up just a little bit more."
Senior Guard Alston Mason
On the increase of team fouls over the recent stretch:
"A lot of it comes from passion and just wanting to win. I think a lot of it also comes from the fact that we know our team and what we're capable of. When we start to lose the game a little bit and things get a bit out of control, we can sometimes lose our emotions. I think we've seen that over the past couple of games and we gotta do a better job of being more composed and staying more poised in certain situations."
On who he leans on for advice:
"No one except for the people in the locker room. You know I'm here with the team all the time trying to figure out different ways we can try to do something to win or tweak this thing a bit to win so all of the guys in the locker room – that's who I believe in."
On how he helps his younger teammate Joson Sanon through struggling to get back into a groove:
"As a freshman it gets hard. Especially when you see us losing and then your shot might not be falling; I think Joson has to just find a different way to bring something else to the game. Once that happens, then it's going to take the pressure off of thinking, 'Oh I've got to make this shot'. I feel like sometimes if you don't make a shot you can put a little more pressure on yourself to make the next shot, because I was the same way. I think he's just in that kind of phase, but when he figures out, 'Hey, if I start off with a couple of rebounds or a steal, this could get me going and then my shots are going to come and get a little bit easier'.
Up Next
Sun Devil Men's Basketball returns on the road to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on February 23rd at 2:00 p.m. MST. Coverage can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on ESPN 620 AM (KTAR).
Sun Devils on Social
For exclusive content, the latest updates, and more information on the Sun Devil Men's Basketball program, follow our X/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilHoops), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/SunDevilHoops/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Follow Coach Hurley on X (@BobbyHurley11).