HARTFORD, Conn. – The No. 21 Arizona State women’s basketball team used another dominant defensive performance to defeat Hartford 60-29 on Monday to capture its third straight victory and the 400th win of head coach Charli Turner Thorne’s career.
Tonight's win over Hartford gives @ASUCoachCharli her 400th career victory! Congratulations, Coach! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/Mb546F75jW
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) December 15, 2015
Katie Hempen scored 11 points to lead the Sun Devils (6-3), who set the school record for fewest points allowed in a half as they raced out to a 30-6 halftime lead.
Since starting the season 1-2 – the two losses came by a combined six points to No. 8 Kentucky (68-64 in OT) and to No. 2 South Carolina (60-58) – the Sun Devils have now won five of their last six games. Including Monday’s win, ASU has allowed an average of only 47.5 ppg during its current 5-1 stretch.
The Sun Devils allowed the Hawks (4-6) to shoot only 24 percent for the game, including 13 percent in the first half when Hartford made only two field goals.
All 11 Sun Devils that played scored in the win. Hempen knocked down half of ASU’s six 3-point field goals and in the process moved into second place on ASU’s all-time list for most career 3-pointers (139). Hempen’s second triple of the night moved her past Jill Noe, (2003-08) who previously held the runner-up position with 137 makes from downtown.
Kelsey Moos, who led ASU with 13 points and seven rebounds in Saturday’s win at Syracuse, turned in another strong outing as she scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. It was Moos’ second game back from injury after missing four straight.
Elisha Davis added seven points and five assists while Quinn Dornstauder (game-high 10 rebounds), Arnecia Hawkins and Sabrina Haines contributed six points apiece for the Sun Devils, who have now won 14 of their last 15 games on the road going back to last season.
After Mikayla Delcastegne hit a 3-pointer to get Hartford on the board with 3:42 left in the first quarter, the Hawks would not score again Janelle Harrison’s free throw cut ASU’s lead to 16-4 with 5:43 remaining in the second quarter. Deanna Mayza, who had a game-high 14 points, hit a jumper with 3:42 left in the second quarter for Hartford’s final points of the half.
In the third quarter ASU scored as many points in 10 minutes (23) as they did in the first half. Eight different Sun Devils hit a field goal in the third quarter. Moos led the way with five points as she accounted for ASU’s only 3-pointer of the quarter.
The winningest coach in program history (360) and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in career wins, Turner Thorne’s 400th victory was the latest milestone in a career that is decorated with outstanding accomplishments. Now in her 19th season at ASU, Turner Thorne, who recorded 40 wins in her initial head coaching position at Northern Arizona, is one of the most successful head coaches in the country. Turner Thorne has turned the Sun Devil women's basketball program into one of the nation's best as she has led ASU to the NCAA Tournament 10 times, including its only two Elite Eight appearances in school history.
The Sun Devils return to action on Saturday (3 p.m. MT) when they host Marquette at Wells Fargo Arena. They will then close out a stretch of playing four games in 10 days next Monday when they host No. 11 Florida State in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Sweet 16 contest.