HONOLULU – The No. 16 Arizona State women’s basketball team used a stifling defensive effort to win its second straight game, defeating Cal State Bakersfield 60-47 on the final day of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown hosted by the University of Hawaii.
Junior Quinn Dornstauder scored a game-high 14 points (5-8 FGs) and senior Katie Hempen added 12 points (4-8 FGs) for the Sun Devils (3-2), who won their second straight game after nearly upsetting second-ranked South Carolina on Friday night.
For the second time in as many games the Sun Devils held the opposition under 50 points (Hawaii scored 49 on Saturday). Making ASU’s performance on Sunday even more impressive is that it allowed the Roadrunners to shoot only 28 percent from the floor.
The Sun Devils dominated inside as they outscored the Roadrunners 34-10 in the paint while also coming out with a plus-13 advantage on the boards (38-25). Seniors Arnecia Hawkins and Eliza Normen and freshman Kianna Ibis tied for the team lead in rebounds (6). Hawkins and freshman Sabrina Haines also contributed seven points each.
ASU’s pressure defense drained most of the suspense of what the game’s ultimate outcome would be by halftime as the Sun Devils limited CSUB (1-5) to only 18 percent shooting in the first half.
Seven different Sun Devils scored in the first quarter as ASU scored the first eight points of the game on their way to building a 19-9 lead after 10 minutes of play. Dornstauder (5 points) and Hawkins (4) combined for nine points to lead the way. ASU led by as many as 15 after Dornstauder’s 3-point play gave the Devils an 18-3 lead.
After holding the Roadrunners to 25 percent shooting in the first quarter, the Sun Devils defense would clamp down even more in the second stanza as CSUB made only 14 percent of its shots (2-14). Hempen (7 points/3-4 FGs) and Dornstauder (5 points/2-3 FGs, 1-1 FT) combined for 12 of ASU’s 17 points in the second quarter.
The Roadrunners, who were led by Airica Carmon’s 13 points, would get no closer than 16 points in the third quarter. A 9-1 run by ASU over the first 3:23 of the fourth quarter gave the Sun Devils their largest lead of the game, 54-30.
The Sun Devils return to action next weekend when they host the ASU Classic at Wells Fargo Arena. ASU will open play on Saturday when it hosts VCU (2 p.m. MT). The second contest of Saturday’s doubleheader will feature Columbia facing Toledo (30 minutes after ASU-VCU). On Sunday ASU will face either Columbia/Toledo at 2:30 p.m. MT (game will be preceded by VCU vs. Columbia/Toledo at noon).