Feb. 8, 2013
BERKELEY, Calif. - Playing without leading scorer Janae Fulcher, the Arizona State women’s basketball team gave a determined effort against No. 6 Cal, however it ultimately was not able to keep up with the Golden Bears in a 66-53 loss on Friday night.
Joy Burke scored a career-high 16 points for the Sun Devils (11-12, 3-8 Pac-12), who shot 36 percent for the game. Promise Amukamara added nine.
Cal (20-2, 10-1 Pac-12), which shot 45 percent, was led by Layshia Clarendon, who scored 18 points. Also posting double-digit scoring totals for Cal were Talia Caldwell (14 points, 6-6 FGs), Brittany Boyd (11 points) and Gennifer Brandon (10 points, 15 rebounds).
The Sun Devils made only one of their first eight shots to start the game, however were still within two after Videckis’ two free throws cut Cal’s advantage to 6-4 a little more than four minutes into the game.
Cal would start to take control at that point as the Bears used a 15-4 run to take a 21-8 lead just past the midway point of the first half. Boyd, Brandon and Clarendon culminated the run with three consecutive baskets in a 67-second span.
Behind the shooting of Videckis, who scored seven points in 57 seconds, the Sun Devils used a 9-2 run to get back within six, 23-17, with 6:59 left in the half.
The two teams would take turns exchanging the next four baskets before Cal went on a 7-0 run to build its lead back up to 13. Consecutive baskets by Burke got the lead down to nine before Clarendon hit a jumper with six seconds left in the half to give Cal a 36-25 halftime lead.
Nearly 10 minutes into the second half the distance between the two teams remained the same as it was at the half. Cal would slowly pull away as it led by as many as 18 in the second half.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday when they play at No. 4 Stanford. The game can be seen live on Pac-12 Networks and heard live on The Fan AM 1060.
Notes
• ASU played without leading scorer Janae Fulcher. It's the first game Fulcher has missed in 2012-13 after she started the first 22 games of the season.
• Joy Burke scored a career-high 16 points, while Haley Videckis, who missed ASU's prior game vs. Washington due to injury, tied her career high with 11 points.
• Adrianne Thomas returned to the starting lineup after she missed last Sunday's game vs. Washington due to injury.
• Burke (6-12 FGs), Videckis (4-8 FGs) and Promise Amukamara (3-6 FGs/10 points) combined to make 50 percent of their shots (13-26 FGs).
• The Sun Devils, who without Fulcher were at a big disadvantage along the front line (Burke was the only player taller than 6-1), were outrebounded 39-31. Despite its lack of size, ASU still had a 17-12 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Sun Devils connected on all eight of their free throws.
• After falling behind 21-8, ASU equaled Cal in scoring (45-45) the last 29-plus minutes of the game.