TEMPE, Ariz. – For the second time in as many games the No. 8 Arizona State women’s basketball team used a big second half to break open a close game as the Sun Devils defeated Arizona 61-49 on Friday for their 13th win in a row.
Elisha Davis tied her career high with 16 points (eight in the second half) while Sophie Brunner added 15 points (10 in the second half) for the Sun Devils (16-3, 7-0 Pac-12), who tied their best conference start in school history. Brunner also added a season-high seven steals and five rebounds while Davis had five assists and a career-high five steals in helping ASU record its 22nd win in its last 25 meetings against Arizona.
“Elisha Davis and Sophie Brunner really stepped up and I thought we worked hard as a team for this win,” ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We always give great effort and that makes this team so much fun to coach.”
Arizona (11-8, 2-5 Pac-12) outrebounded the Sun Devils 35-20 on Friday night, but ASU was able to make up the difference by forcing 27 Wildcat turnovers, the 10th time it has forced 20 or more turnovers and the most in a game this season.
The contest was tight for most of the first three quarters as the two teams were tied at 26-26 at the half and then were within three points of each other after a jumper by Arizona’s Destiny Graham got the Wildcats within three, 43-40, with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
The Sun Devils would respond as Peace Amukamara connected from long range and Brunner added a free throw in the last 37 seconds to extend ASU’s lead to 47-40 going into the fourth quarter.
ASU’s defense would put the clamps on Arizona’s attack for the remainder of the game as the Wildcats scored only three points over the first nine-plus minutes of the final stanza. During that same period the Sun Devils continued to build their lead, which swelled to as many as 18. A jumper by Kianna Ibis with one minute remaining in the game capped the game-deciding 18-3 scoring run.
Arizona was led by Malena Washington, who had 14 points and seven assists, and Breanna Workman, who had 13 points and seven rebounds.
With the win, the Sun Devil women’s basketball team claimed half a point in the Territorial Cup Series, which ASU now leads 5.0-1.0.
It will be a quick turnaround for both teams, who will have the rematch of their annual home-and-home series on Sunday (5 p.m. MT) at McKale Center in Tucson. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks and can be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.