LAS VEGAS – The No. 23 Arizona State women's basketball team dropped its opening game of the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout, falling to sixth-ranked Maryland 83-42 on Friday.
Freshman guard Reili Richardson scored 12 points to lead the Sun Devils (2-2), who struggled to find the basket for much of the game as they shot 28 percent from the field. ASU's freshmen accounted for more than 60 percent of the Sun Devils' offense as Richardson (12 points), Kiara Russell (six points), Jamie Ruden (six points) and Sydney Goodson (two points) combined for 26 points.
Maryland (5-0) had five players score in double figures led by Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who had 20 points. The Terrapins shot 55 percent and forced the Sun Devils into 20 turnovers, which they converted into 30 points.
"We missed easy shots early on and kind of got down," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "I thought we played great defense (early) but we just didn't finish (on the offensive end) for the first five or six minutes and I think we got discouraged.
"I don't think we could play any worse than we did in the first half. We were not connected on both ends of the floor. I thought we played harder and moved the ball more in the second half. Defensively, we kept them in front of us better. I tell our team that if we turn the ball over to a good team, that's two points. If we can't set our defense, we're not good enough. No team in the country is good enough. They had too many points off of our turnovers and I think they are a legit top-five team."
During the first 20 minutes Murphy's Law applied to pretty much everything the Sun Devils attempted as they shot 19 percent in the first half and were only able to produce 13 points.
While the Sun Devils were struggling to muster any offense, the Terrapins were clicking on all cylinders as they shot 67 percent in the first half on their way to building a 47-13 advantage at the half.
Despite the insurmountable deficit they faced, the Sun Devils put forth an admirable effort in the second half as they scored 29 points while only being outscored by seven points over the final 20 minutes. Kelsey Moos (five points) and Ruden (four points) combined for nine of ASU's 15 points in the third quarter.
Seven different Sun Devils contributed to ASU's 14 points in the fourth quarter. It was in the final period that Sara Hattis came through with one of the best defensive sequences of the game as she blocked three shots in the span of 42 seconds. In addition to the three blocks, Hattis also added four rebounds and three points on Friday.
The Sun Devils conclude play at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout on Saturday (1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT) when they face St. John's. Live audio of the game an be heard on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel.
Freshman guard Reili Richardson scored 12 points to lead the Sun Devils (2-2), who struggled to find the basket for much of the game as they shot 28 percent from the field. ASU's freshmen accounted for more than 60 percent of the Sun Devils' offense as Richardson (12 points), Kiara Russell (six points), Jamie Ruden (six points) and Sydney Goodson (two points) combined for 26 points.
Maryland (5-0) had five players score in double figures led by Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who had 20 points. The Terrapins shot 55 percent and forced the Sun Devils into 20 turnovers, which they converted into 30 points.
"We missed easy shots early on and kind of got down," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "I thought we played great defense (early) but we just didn't finish (on the offensive end) for the first five or six minutes and I think we got discouraged.
"I don't think we could play any worse than we did in the first half. We were not connected on both ends of the floor. I thought we played harder and moved the ball more in the second half. Defensively, we kept them in front of us better. I tell our team that if we turn the ball over to a good team, that's two points. If we can't set our defense, we're not good enough. No team in the country is good enough. They had too many points off of our turnovers and I think they are a legit top-five team."
During the first 20 minutes Murphy's Law applied to pretty much everything the Sun Devils attempted as they shot 19 percent in the first half and were only able to produce 13 points.
While the Sun Devils were struggling to muster any offense, the Terrapins were clicking on all cylinders as they shot 67 percent in the first half on their way to building a 47-13 advantage at the half.
Despite the insurmountable deficit they faced, the Sun Devils put forth an admirable effort in the second half as they scored 29 points while only being outscored by seven points over the final 20 minutes. Kelsey Moos (five points) and Ruden (four points) combined for nine of ASU's 15 points in the third quarter.
Seven different Sun Devils contributed to ASU's 14 points in the fourth quarter. It was in the final period that Sara Hattis came through with one of the best defensive sequences of the game as she blocked three shots in the span of 42 seconds. In addition to the three blocks, Hattis also added four rebounds and three points on Friday.
The Sun Devils conclude play at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout on Saturday (1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT) when they face St. John's. Live audio of the game an be heard on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel.