LOS ANGELES – Promise Amukamara played a career-high 48 minutes and scored 16 of her game-high 20 points after halftime as No. 12 Arizona State held off USC 76-73 in double overtime on Sunday.
Amukamara made all four of her field goal attempts in the two overtimes as she accounted for eight of ASU’s 12 points in the two five-minute extra sessions.
Sophie Brunner had 14 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists while playing 45 minutes. Elisha Davis added 11 points to go along with five assists and Quinn Dornstauder, making her fourth consecutive start in place Kelsey Moos (injured), posted eight points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks while playing a career-high 37 minutes. Katie Hempen added eight points and five assists for ASU.
The Sun Devils (24-4, 13-3 Pac-12) will enter the final weekend of Pac-12 play in second place in the conference standings. They are two games behind seventh-ranked Oregon State (25-2, 15-1) and one game ahead of No. 18 Stanford (20-8, 12-4) and Cal (20-7, 12-4), who are both tied for third place. The Beavers, who will host Stanford and Cal this weekend, have already clinched the top seed in next month’s Pac-12 Tournament.
ASU shot 49 percent compared to 41 percent for USC, however the advantage was offset on the boards where the Trojans (15-12, 7-9 Pac-12) were plus-11 (44-33), including 19-7 on the offensive end, which led to 18 second-chance points.
Two days earlier at UCLA, the Sun Devils used a 12-0 run to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into an eventual 12-point win. On Sunday, ASU started the second half with an eight-point cushion, which it extended to 10 after Brunner scored on a jumper 48 seconds into the second half to give ASU a 39-29 lead. The Trojans would whittle it down to four only to see the Devils once again extend it to nine after consecutive baskets by Brunner and Amukamara gave ASU a 46-37 advantage with 12:35 left.
The Trojans, who honored seniors Alexyz Vaioletama (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Kaneisha Horn (11 points, five rebounds) before the game, would not go down without a fight as they scored the next eight points to get within one. A layup by Courtney Jaco midway through the second half put USC on top 51-50. Jaco’s layup started a see-saw final 10 minutes of regulation in which neither team led by more than four points.
A jumper by Horn with 1:22 left, gave the Trojans a 64-60 lead. Dornstauder would counter with a bucket at the other end, cutting the deficit in half. The Trojans missed a 3-pointer on the other end, but got the offensive rebound, which forced ASU to start fouling with 38 seconds left. The strategy would work as USC missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Sun Devils got the ball to Brunner who scored and was fouled with four seconds remaining, however, after a timeout, was not able to complete the 3-point play, which sent the game to overtime.
USC stuck first with a 3-pointer in the extra session only to see ASU score six of the next seven points to go up 70-68 after a layup by Hempen with 1:48 left.
USC could not score on its ensuing possession and, like the Sun Devils towards the end of regulation, were forced to foul. The tactic worked as well for them as it did for ASU and they would tie the game after sinking a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left. Davis and Brunner both had chances to win it in the closing seconds, but were denied setting the stage for a second overtime.
The Trojans would once again strike first in the second overtime on a free throw by Vaioletama. A pair of baskets by Amukamara sandwiched around a tip-in by Vaioletama left ASU with a one-point lead, 74-73, with 3:22 left. Defense would take over the next two minutes as the two teams went back and forth missing shots. Eliza Normen would break the stalemate with a layup, which extended ASU’s lead to 76-73 with 57 seconds left.
USC missed a 3-pointer on its next possession and could not get the rebound, but got the ball back on a steal. A subsequent foul sent the Trojans to the line, but they were unable to take advantage after missing both attempts.
The Trojans would remain alive after the Devils missed the front end of a one-and-one and got the ball back with 24 seconds left. A third overtime was not to be as Normen snuffed out attempts to tie the game by Vaioletama and Horn with two blocks in the final seven seconds.
The Sun Devils return to action later this week when they close out the regular season portion of their schedule vs. Utah (Friday at 6:30 p.m. MT) and Colorado (Sunday at 2 p.m.).
On Sunday, the Sun Devil women’s basketball program will be honoring Promise Amukamara and Isidora Purkovic, who will be playing in their final regular season home game.
Tickets for Friday’s game can be purchased by clicking here and tickets for Sunday’s game can be purchased by clicking here.