SEATTLE – The No. 10 Arizona State women’s basketball team was upset by California, 75-64, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Sun Devils (25-6), who shot 36 percent for the game, were led by Sophie Brunner, who had her fifth double-double of the season (14 points, 11 rebounds), and Kianna Ibis, who scored a career-high 14 points. Also scoring in double figures for the Sun Devils was Elisha Davis, who had 10 points and five assists.
Cal (15-16) shot 69 percent and had three players – Kristine Anigwe (24 points), Penina Davidson (17) and Asha Thomas (16) – combine for 57 of its 75 points.
The Bears connected on seven of their 10 shot attempts in the first quarter go up 17-13 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Sun Devils, who defeated Cal twice in the regular season – 57-49 on Jan. 2 in Tempe and 64-49 on Feb. 12 in Berkeley – appeared they were taking back control of the game after a 12-4 run to start the second quarter put them ahead 25-21. The Bears would counter with an 11-2 run over the final 3:06 of the half to take a 32-27 lead into the locker room.
Ibis (8 points) and Brunner (7) combined for 15 of ASU’s 27 points in the first half.
The Bears scored 11 of the first 15 points in the second half to extend their lead to 10, 43-33, after a 3-pointer by Thomas with 6:08 left in the third quarter. The Sun Devils would come right back with an eight-point scoring burst of their own – jumper by Arnecia Hawkins and two layups and a jumper from Davis – to get back within two points.
Just like they did in the last few minutes of the second quarter, the Bears closed out the third quarter with another big scoring run. A jumper by Anigwe started a stretch in which the Bears would outscore the Sun Devils 11-3 over the last 3:23 of the third frame allowing them to take a 54-44 lead into the final quarter.
Cal’s momentum would carry over into the fourth quarter as they out scored ASU 9-2 over the first 1:51 of the period to take their largest lead of the game, 63-46.
Co-champions of the Pac-12 regular season race, ASU would attempt to rally. A pair of free throws by Ibis started an 11-3 scoring run by the Sun Devils that cut Cal’s lead to nine, 66-57, after Sabrina Haines’ layup with 4:41 remaining.
After a Cal turnover, Davis attempted to cut the lead to six, but her 3-pointer was off the mark. Davidson’s layup at the other end gave Cal a double-digit lead once again and the Sun Devils would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
The Sun Devils will now await their NCAA Tournament assignment when the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship bracket is announced Monday, March 14 at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN.