Feb. 13, 2011
TUCSON, Ariz. - Ify Ibekwe scored 22 points and grabbed 22 rebounds as Arizona snapped an 11-game losing streak to its in-state rival, defeating Arizona State 73-61 in the latest installment of the State Farm Territorial Cup Series on Sunday.
Davellyn Whyte added 14 points while Shanita Arnold dished out a game-high nine assists for the Wildcats (14-9, 5-7 Pac-10), who also snapped a four-game losing streak.
Dymond Simon, who missed ASU's last two games after not being medically cleared following a concussion at USC on Jan. 29, returned to the starting lineup for the Sun Devils (14-8, 6-6 Pac-10) and led the team with 21 points.
Becca Tobin nearly missed a double-double after tallying 12 points and nine rebounds for the Sun Devils, who are now in fourth-place in the Pac-10 standings.
Ibekwe's performance underscored Arizona's 36-24 advantage in points in the paint. The Wildcats were also aided by an 18-11 advantage in points off turnovers and a 19-14 advantage in bench points.
After falling behind 38-31, the Sun Devils would use a 9-0 lead to go ahead 40-38 following a pair of free throws by Deja Mann with 13:24 left.
Offense would then prevail over the next three minutes as the two teams would exchange baskets with neither squad able to sustain a run. That would change when Whyte's 3-pointer gave the Wildcats a 48-47 advantage with 10:06 left.
Arizona would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way as Whyte's triple ignited an 18-6 run. Whyte culminated the run with a layup giving the Wildcats a 63-53 lead with 3:37 remaining.
The Sun Devils would make one last run as Simon scored five straight points in the span of 31 seconds to cut Arizona's lead in half, 63-58. Following a defensive stop ASU had a chance to make it a one-possession game, however Tenaya Watson's 3-pointer missed its mark.
A layup by Ibekwe was followed by a missed jumper by Simon on ASU's next offensive possession. Whyte would then clinch the game for the Wildcats with a 3-point play, which put Arizona up 68-58 with 1:21 left.
The Sun Devils continue their current three-game stint away from home next weekend when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington (Thursday at 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT) and Washington State (Saturday at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT).