TEMPE— Defensive intensity and an efficient offensive attack helped the No. 18/16 Arizona State women's basketball team remain unbeaten following an 82-37 win over San Jose State on Sunday.
Twelve different Sun Devils recorded points, nine of which scored five or more in the victory. Freshman guards Reili Richardson and Robbi Ryan led the way with 11 points, while Kelsey Moos, Kianna Ibis and Kiara Russell scored eight points each.
Offensively, the Sun Devils were able to move the ball around well, totaling 20 assists for the game. ASU (2-0) shot 49 percent from the field and was able to take advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw where it connected on 17 of 24 attempts (71 percent).
"I thought we had a more complete game today than we did Friday," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "We had a much better second half, cleaned up our fouling and turnovers and held them to 16 points. I thought we did a good job in outworking them. It was a nice team win.
"(The freshmen) are playing beyond their years and I've said on numerous occasions that they're like starters for us right now. That's how consistent they've been."
Sophomore guard Sabrina Haines helped contribute to the good ball movement by tallying a team-high six assists to go with her seven points, while senior center Quinn Dornstauder tied Ryan with a game-high eight rebounds.
Defensively, ASU showed its tenacity by scoring 32 points off of 21 San Jose State turnovers and also held San Jose State (0-2) to 25 percent shooting from the floor.
The Sun Devils scored the game's first 16 points and never looked back as they built a 29-10 lead after the first 10 minutes. Richardson and fellow Russell both knocked down all three of their shots to tie for the team lead with seven points. As a team ASU shot 73 percent in the first quarter while holding the Spartans to only 13 percent.
The second quarter was much closer as the Sun Devils had a 15-14 edge in points to take a 44-21 lead into the locker room.
The Spartans scored the first four points of the second half before ASU went on another 16-0 run to extend out to a 60-25 lead after a pair of free throws by Richardson with 5:43 remaining. Ten different Sun Devils scored in the third period, led by Sophie Brunner and Ryan who had five points each.
Including their 76-40 win over Illinois State in Friday's season opener, the Sun Devils shot 45 percent from the floor while holding the opposition to only 29 percent. ASU also shot 40 percent from beyond the arc in the two games while holding their two opponents to a single 3-pointer in 20 attempts (.005 percent).
Sunday's game was ASU's second annual #KeepTheBeat Game for Heart Health Awareness. Prior to the game fans had the opportunity to enjoy 'Taste of Tempe,' a free food-tasting event that featured heart healthy food. Fans also had the opportunity to participate in various health screenings during a Heart Health Expo that took place on the concourse of Wells Fargo Arena before the game.
The Sun Devils return to action on Saturday (2 p.m. CT/1 p.m. MT) when they travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to take on Marquette in their first road contest of the season.
Twelve different Sun Devils recorded points, nine of which scored five or more in the victory. Freshman guards Reili Richardson and Robbi Ryan led the way with 11 points, while Kelsey Moos, Kianna Ibis and Kiara Russell scored eight points each.
Offensively, the Sun Devils were able to move the ball around well, totaling 20 assists for the game. ASU (2-0) shot 49 percent from the field and was able to take advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw where it connected on 17 of 24 attempts (71 percent).
"I thought we had a more complete game today than we did Friday," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "We had a much better second half, cleaned up our fouling and turnovers and held them to 16 points. I thought we did a good job in outworking them. It was a nice team win.
"(The freshmen) are playing beyond their years and I've said on numerous occasions that they're like starters for us right now. That's how consistent they've been."
Sophomore guard Sabrina Haines helped contribute to the good ball movement by tallying a team-high six assists to go with her seven points, while senior center Quinn Dornstauder tied Ryan with a game-high eight rebounds.
Defensively, ASU showed its tenacity by scoring 32 points off of 21 San Jose State turnovers and also held San Jose State (0-2) to 25 percent shooting from the floor.
The Sun Devils scored the game's first 16 points and never looked back as they built a 29-10 lead after the first 10 minutes. Richardson and fellow Russell both knocked down all three of their shots to tie for the team lead with seven points. As a team ASU shot 73 percent in the first quarter while holding the Spartans to only 13 percent.
The second quarter was much closer as the Sun Devils had a 15-14 edge in points to take a 44-21 lead into the locker room.
The Spartans scored the first four points of the second half before ASU went on another 16-0 run to extend out to a 60-25 lead after a pair of free throws by Richardson with 5:43 remaining. Ten different Sun Devils scored in the third period, led by Sophie Brunner and Ryan who had five points each.
Including their 76-40 win over Illinois State in Friday's season opener, the Sun Devils shot 45 percent from the floor while holding the opposition to only 29 percent. ASU also shot 40 percent from beyond the arc in the two games while holding their two opponents to a single 3-pointer in 20 attempts (.005 percent).
Sunday's game was ASU's second annual #KeepTheBeat Game for Heart Health Awareness. Prior to the game fans had the opportunity to enjoy 'Taste of Tempe,' a free food-tasting event that featured heart healthy food. Fans also had the opportunity to participate in various health screenings during a Heart Health Expo that took place on the concourse of Wells Fargo Arena before the game.
The Sun Devils return to action on Saturday (2 p.m. CT/1 p.m. MT) when they travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to take on Marquette in their first road contest of the season.