Fall River’s Joson Sanon leads Arizona State with 21 points in win over previously undefeated Grand Canyon

PHOENIX – Sun Devils Men’s Basketball traveled to Footprint Center and handed Grand Canyon their first loss of the season in a neutral-site matchup on Thursday night.

Arizona State (3-1) controlled the second half and emerged with an 87-76 win over GCU (2-1). Behind 21 points from freshman guard Joson Sanon off the bench along with 18 from senior forward Basheer Jihad, Bobby Hurley secured the 200th career win of his head coaching career. Arizona State rose to the occasion in another premiere atmosphere, as 13,705 Valley basketball fans were in attendance to watch the in-state rivals do battle.

GCU trailed Western Kentucky by six with under 90 seconds to play in their last game, but ended the game on an 8-0 run to defeat a 2024 NCAA tournament team and C-USA preseason favorite. Despite the reputation of resiliency from their foe, Arizona State squashed any potential GCU comeback attempt, answering every run the Lopes put together down the stretch.

Three Sun Devils players reached double figures, led by Joson Sanon, who came off the bench and had 21 points while connecting 5-of-7 shots beyond the arc. Basheer Jihad found his rhythm at the free throw line, shooting 9-11 at the line and finishing with 18 points and five rebounds. Alston Mason operated the offense effectively throughout the contest, adding 16 points while dishing out five assists.