HONOLULU – The No. 16 Arizona State women’s basketball team came up with its best performance of the young season on Saturday in a 75-49 win over Hawaii, the host school of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown.
The Sun Devils (2-2) shot 56 percent, committed only six turnovers and scored 31 points off of Hawaii’s 20 turnovers.
Senior Katie Hempen (12 points), junior Quinn Dornstauder (12 points) and freshman Sabrina Haines (11 points) all scored in double figures for the Sun Devils, who played without starting forwards Kelsey Moos and Sophie Brunner. Both Moos and Brunner were injured in the second half of Friday’s game against second-ranked South Carolina.
Hawaii (4-2) was led by Destiny King, who scored a game-high 16 points.
Four different Sun Devils – senior Peace Amukamara, senior Elisha Davis, Hempen, freshman Charnea Johnson-Chapman and senior Eliza Normen – scored in the first quarter to help ASU take a 12-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Sun Devils had only two turnovers in the opening period while scoring six points off of Hawaii’s five miscues.
The Sun Devils would break the game open in the second quarter as they outscored Hawaii 25-9 to take a 37-20 lead at the half. Dornstauder (4-4 FGs, 8 points), Hempen (2-3 FGs, 6 points) and Haines (2-3 FGs, 5 points) combined for 19 of the 25 points while shooting a combined 80 percent from the floor (8-10). Excellent defense led to offense on the other end as ASU scored 11 points off of Hawaii’s six turnovers in the second quarter.
The Sun Devils would continue their hot shooting in the third period as they connected on 67 percent of their shots. Haines (1-1 FG, 4-4 FTs, 6 points), senior Arnecia Hawkins (2-2 FGs, 5 points), Dornstauder (1-1 FG, 2-2 FTs, 4 points) and Johnson-Chapman (2-2 FGs, 4 points) combined for 19 of ASU’s 26 points in the quarter while not missing a single field goal (6-6 FGs) or free throw (7-7 FTs).
Arnecia Hawkins (3-3 FGs, 7 points in fourth career start) and senior Eliza Normen (5 points, 8 rebounds in fifth career start) started in place of Moos and Brunner and both provided the Devils with strong outings. Normen’s rebound total (8) was one short of matching her career high.
ASU received solid contributions from its bench as Haines (11 points), Amukamara (7 points, 4 assists), Johnson-Chapman (8 points, 4-4 FGs), freshman Kianna Ibis (2 points) and freshman Armani Hawkins (2 points) combined for 30 points.
Amukamara and Davis (9 points, 3 assists and 2 steals) combined for seven of ASU’s 10 assists in the game.
The Sun Devils close out action in the in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Sunday (2:30 p.m. HST/5:30 p.m. MT) when they take on CSU Bakersfield. The game can be heard live on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.