HONOLULU – The No. 16 Arizona State women’s basketball team came up just short of a momentous upset on Friday as second-ranked South Carolina used a pair of free throws by A’ja Wilson with six-tenths of a second remaining to escape with a 60-58 win at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown being hosted by the University of Hawaii.
Katie Hempen (12 points) and Elisha Davis (10 points) both scored in double figures to lead the Sun Devils (1-2), whose losses to current No. 12 Kentucky (68-64 in OT on Nov. 15) and the Gamecocks have come by a combined six points.
Wilson and Bianca Cuevas both scored a game-high 18 points to lead South Carolina (5-0).
The Sun Devils gave the Gamecocks, a participant in last season’s Final Four, all they wanted and then some despite seeing each member of their starting front line forced off the court due to injury at some point during the contest. Starting center Quinn Dornstauder played only 11 minutes in the first half after having to leave the game late in the first quarter while starting forwards Kelsey Moos (last 11-plus minutes of the game) and Sophie Brunner (last 4:27 of the game) were not available for the Sun Devils down the stretch. At the time she departed, Brunner had what at the time was a game-high total of 10 rebounds to go along with six points and three steals.
Although South Carolina would end the game with a higher shooting percentage than ASU (41.4 – 34.4), the Sun Devils made the most of their opportunities from the outside where they connected on 40 percent of their 3-point attempts (8-20). ASU (19 turnovers) and South Carolina (21 turnovers) both had several possessions end with miscues and both teams would also capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes (ASU 20 points off turnovers and South Carolina 18 points off turnovers).
The Devils led by as many as seven twice in the first half. The Gamecocks also led by as many as seven after a 15-7 run over a 5:23 stretch put them up 53-46 with 7:08 remaining.
ASU would counter with a 9-0 run – jumpers by Davis and Eliza Normen, a 3-pointer by freshman Sabrina Haines and a layup by Davis – to go back on top 55-53 with just over four minutes left.
Tina Roy hit a 3-pointer – South Carolina’s only triple of the game (1-11) – on the Gamecocks’ ensuing possession to put South Carolina back on top 56-55.
Nearly two minutes would pass before the next basket, Hempen’s fourth 3-pointer of the game that gave ASU a 58-56 advantage with 1:20 left.
Shay Colley’s attempt to tie the game missed at the opposite end, but teammate Alaina Coates was in position to get the offensive board and putback to knot the game at 58-58 with 56 seconds left.
Dornstauder’s right-handed attempt to put the Devils back in the lead didn’t go in, but the 6-4 center was able to get the offensive rebound and the Sun Devils called a timeout with 18 seconds left. ASU would get another try to go on top, but Hempen could not get her 3-pointer to go and Wilson grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 8.3 seconds left (was initially with 7.2 seconds, but after review the officials added an additional 1.1 seconds).
Wilson attempted to drive to the basket for the winning hoop, but Normen’s defense forced a tie-up and the ball was awarded to the Gamecocks on the alternating possession.
With five seconds left, South Carolina inbounded to Coates, whose attempt off the glass was too strong. Wilson was able to tip the ball back to herself for the offensive board and missed her attempted follow-up shot, but was again able to grab the offensive rebound. The buzzer went off as Wilson’s last attempt appeared to miss, but officials ruled that Hempen fouled Wilson with six-tenths of a second remaining. Wilson would sink the ensuing two free throws for the win.
The two teams would go back and forth for much of the first quarter. With the scored tied at 14-14, Haines knocked down a triple to give ASU a 17-14 lead after the first 10 minutes. A free throw by Moos and a 3-pointer by Davis, who had a game-high five assists, put ASU up 21-14 one minute into the second quarter.
The Gamecocks would slowly get back into the game and would go up 28-27 on a layup by Wilson with 2:59 left in the half. The Sun Devils would end the half with a five-point flurry capped off by a 3-pointer by Hempen that gave ASU a 33-30 lead at the half.
The Sun Devils continue play in the in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Saturday (4 p.m. HST/7 p.m. MT) when they play the host school, Hawaii. The game can be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.