LOS ANGELES – Katie Hempen scored a team-high 11 points to lead the ninth-ranked Arizona State women’s basketball team to a hard-fought 50-45 win over a very determined USC squad on Friday night.
By virtue of seventh-ranked Oregon State’s loss at No. 13 Stanford, the Sun Devils (25-4, 16-1 Pac-12) clinched at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title. They can win their first outright regular season league crown with a win on Sunday (11 a.m. PT/noon MT) at No. 14 UCLA.
With the win the Sun Devils tied the program record for most league wins (16 – 2006-07 team also won 16) and set a new program record for most road wins in a season (11).
On a night that saw ASU post its fewest points in a quarter this season (four in the first quarter), it took nothing short of an all-out team effort to come away with the win. Nine players scored for the Sun Devils, who were able to overcome 23 turnovers and a 1-of-8 performance from beyond the arc.
Elisha Davis added eight points while a pair of freshmen – Kianna Ibis (tied career high with eight points) and Sabrina Haines (seven points) – combined for 15 points.
One of the biggest factors that allowed ASU to come out on top was a 38-26 advantage on the boards. Sophie Brunner (12 rebounds), Kelsey Moos (nine rebounds) and Ibis (career-high seven rebounds) combined for 28 boards in the game. Brunner (four), Moos (three), Ibis (two) and Haines (one) were responsible for ASU’s 10 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 15 second chance points for the Sun Devils.
Although ASU struggled to score early on, its outstanding defense ensured the game would not get away as USC (18-11, 6-11) was only able to score eight points in the first quarter to take a four-point lead after the first 10 minutes.
After USC’s Courtney Jaco’s free throws gave USC a 10-4 lead early in the second quarter, the Sun Devils would methodically start to get back into the game. A layup by Arnecia Hawkins started an 8-2 run that was capped off by Hempen’s layup that tied the game at 12-12 with 3:40 remaining in the half.
Hempen’s free throws with 20 seconds left in the second quarter gave ASU its first lead of the game, 16-14. Kristen Simon, who led all scorers with 15 points, came back with a layup at the opposite end to send the two teams into the locker room tied at 16-16.
USC scored the first four points of the third quarter, but two free throws by Brunner and a layup by Davis once again knotted the score.
Neither team would lead by more than two until Hempen knocked down ASU’s only triple of the game to put the Sun Devils up 31-28 with 2:13 left in the quarter.
It appeared the Sun Devils would start to pull away early in the fourth quarter after a layup by Davis and four straight points from Ibis gave ASU a 39-32 lead with just over seven minutes remaining.
The Trojans would slowly chip away at the lead, however, and, after two free throws by Temi Fagbenle, were within two, 43-41 with 3:55 remaining. It was the first of three times that USC got within two in the final four minutes of the game. Davis and Brunner both hits buckets each of the first two times USC got within two to make it a two-possession game.
The Trojans got within two again, 47-45, after a layup by Fagbenle with 2:11 remaining. Although the Sun Devil were not able to provide an immediate offensive response, they made sure that the Trojans did not tie or take the lead. Fagbenle’s attempt to tie the game with 32 seconds left was denied and Haines hit 1-of-2 free throws on the other end to extend ASU's lead to three. Still within one possession the Trojans attempted to go for the tie with 20 seconds left, but Sadie Edwards' 3-point attempt missed the mark and Brunner secured the rebound. Brunner and Moos would each hit a free throw in the final 17 seconds to secure the win.
Coming into Friday’s game, the Sun Devils and Trojans had become accustomed to being involved in close games with one another as each of the last four contests between the two teams was decided on either the final possession or overtime. The Sun Devils were able to make the plays they needed to on Friday in order to come out on top, something they have become accustomed to in recent years as they are now 25-6 in games decided by five points or less or OT since the 2013-14 season.
The Sun Devils close out the regular season on Sunday (11 a.m. PT/noon MT) when they play at No. 14 UCLA. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks and can be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.