SEATTLE, Wash. – The ninth-ranked Arizona State women’s basketball team had its run in the Pac-12 Tournament come to an end on Saturday night as No. 19 Stanford survived a furious comeback attempt by the Sun Devils to escape with a 59-56 win in the tournament semifinals.
Sophie Brunner (14 points) and Quinn Dornstauder (13 points) led the Sun Devils on the offensive end. Brunner also collected 10 rebounds to account for her fifth double-double of the season.
The Cardinal shot 47 percent for the game, including 53.3 percent (8-15) from long distance. Amber Orrange (18 points) and Taylor Greenfield (17 points) combined for 35 points in the game.
“Obviously we were having kind of a tough day offensively shooting a really low percentage, but we still fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win, and so it is just kind of heartbreaking,” ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We really had our eyes set on winning the Pac-12 Championship this year, and we have fallen short, but credit Stanford. They're obviously a very good team with a lot of postseason experience. There are a lot of good things we'll take from this game heading into the NCAAs, that I know we're going to be that much better for it.”
The Sun Devils (27-5) came into Saturday’s game having defeated Stanford (23-9) in both regular season meetings between the two teams – 60-57 on the road and 53-52 at home. In the first meeting, ASU led by 17 at the half and then was able to hold on after Stanford came all the way back to get within single point. In the second go-round, the Sun Devils came back from a 12-point deficit in the second half and then snuffed out Stanford’s attempt to win the game at the buzzer.
The third installment of the series would play out similar to the most recent meeting in Tempe as the Sun Devils were not at their best offensively (shot 32 percent on Saturday) and faced a double-digit deficit in the second half (13 points with 8:56 remaining). Like in last month’s comeback win the Sun Devils would use their defense to get back into the game.
One possession at a time ASU clawed its way back into the contest. Over the next several minutes Brunner hit three jumpers, Promise Amukamara connected on a jumper and a pair of free throws, Eliza Normen knocked down a free throw and then, at the four-minute mark, Elisha Davis hit her first field goal, a 3-pointer which cut Stanford’s lead to one point.
After being outscored 10-0 over a span of just over two minutes, Stanford was able to increase its slim advantage back to four points after Bonnie Samuelson hit a 3-pointer with 3:28 remaining.
Davis would counter with her second straight 3-pointer to once again get the Sun Devils within one. Then, after an offensive foul by Samuelson, Katie Hempen sank a pair of free throws to give ASU its first lead since the nine-minute mark of the first half, 56-55 with 2:19 left.
Neither team would score again until Greenfield’s jumper with 44 seconds left gave Stanford a 57-56 lead.
ASU came up short on its ensuing possession and, with 28 seconds remaining, had to start fouling. The foul, given by Kelsey Moos, was only ASU’s second of the half meaning they had to foul five more times before Stanford would start shooting free throws. After each successive foul, the Sun Devils attempted to steal the ball as the Cardinal attempted to inbound the ball.
Six seconds and four fouls later, Stanford still had possession of the ball and would start shooting free throws the next time it was fouled. That would have to wait as the Sun Devils were able to force a turnover on the inbounds after giving their sixth team foul of the half.
Davis’ attempt to give ASU the lead was blocked and Stanford got the rebound and was fouled immediately with 11 seconds left. Kaylee Johnson made the first free throw and missed the second, but Greenfield was able get the rebound on the miss. Just like Johnson, Greenfield would hit the first but miss the second, leaving ASU with a chance to tie the game. With no timeouts remaining Davis dribbled the length of the floor and was unable to find anyone open before attempting to tie the game at the buzzer with a shot that was off the mark.
“We came back, and we even took the lead. That's just the toughness and resiliency of this team,” Turner Thorne said. “We haven't been in that situation a lot, and again, I'm just really proud of our team on a day when we were really off and they were really on, how we fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win.”
The Sun Devils will now wait to find out their assignment in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The pairings for the 64-team tournament will be announced on Monday, March 16.