LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The No. 17 Arizona State women's basketball team extended its winning streak to six games with a 65-51 win over Kansas State on Sunday in a game that was hosted by UW-La Crosse.
Sophia Elenga scored eight of her team-high 12 points in the second half for the Sun Devils (8-2), who used an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to break open what was a four-point game with 5:27 remaining.
Kianna Ibis, Reili Richardson and Robbi Ryan scored 10 points each while Courtney Ekmark and Charnea Johnson-Chapman added eight points each.
Ibis and Johnson-Chapman tied for the team lead with eight rebounds apiece in helping the Sun Devils finish the game with a plus-eight advantage on the boards.
Richardson had a game-high five assists with no turnovers. As a team, ASU had only eight miscues – the second time this season it has had a single-digit turnover total – just over half of the 15.4 turnovers that Kansas State's opponents were averaging per game.
ASU made half of its two-point field goals to help offset an uncharacteristic 11-percent effort from long range.
The Sun Devils (10-17/59 percent) and Wildcats (8-16/50 percent) both shot 50 percent or higher in the first quarter. Ibis and Ryan combined for 13 points and the Sun Devils used a 10-2 run over the last four minutes of the period to take a 21-17 lead after 10 minutes.
The hot shooting would not last for either team as the second quarter saw both teams combine to make only 26 percent of their shots while accounting for only 17 points (KSU 9-8), less than half of the 38 points that were scored in the opening frame.
Jayde Van Hyfte (layup), Taya Hanson (3-pointer) and Elenga (layup) scored consecutive baskets to help ASU take a 40-32 lead at the midpoint of the third quarter. ASU would eventually take a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter thanks to Ryan, who drained a shot at the third-quarter buzzer.
The Wildcats (7-3) scored the first four points of the final period to cut ASU's lead to 48-45 with 9:20 remaining. They were still within four points with five minutes left, but the Sun Devils closed the game with a 13-3 run to seal their sixth straight win.
Defensively, ASU allowed the Wildcats to make only two field goals – 15 percent of their overall attempts – in the final quarter. After Kansas State's last field goal with 5:27 remaining, the Wildcats scored their final three points of the game at the line.
Promoted as an event called 'Battle by the Bluff,'Sunday's game was a homecoming for five Sun Devils who hail from the Midwest: Ibis (Omaha, Neb.), Jamie Ruden (Rochester, Minn.), Kiara Russell (Minneapolis, Minn.), Eva Rubin (Flossmoor, Ill.) and Van Hyfte (Annawan, Ill.).
The Sun Devils close out the non-conference portion of their schedule on Thursday (2 p.m. MT) when they host Fresno State. The game can be seen via live stream at https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university and can be heard on TuneIn.
Sophia Elenga scored eight of her team-high 12 points in the second half for the Sun Devils (8-2), who used an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to break open what was a four-point game with 5:27 remaining.
Kianna Ibis, Reili Richardson and Robbi Ryan scored 10 points each while Courtney Ekmark and Charnea Johnson-Chapman added eight points each.
Ibis and Johnson-Chapman tied for the team lead with eight rebounds apiece in helping the Sun Devils finish the game with a plus-eight advantage on the boards.
Richardson had a game-high five assists with no turnovers. As a team, ASU had only eight miscues – the second time this season it has had a single-digit turnover total – just over half of the 15.4 turnovers that Kansas State's opponents were averaging per game.
ASU made half of its two-point field goals to help offset an uncharacteristic 11-percent effort from long range.
The Sun Devils (10-17/59 percent) and Wildcats (8-16/50 percent) both shot 50 percent or higher in the first quarter. Ibis and Ryan combined for 13 points and the Sun Devils used a 10-2 run over the last four minutes of the period to take a 21-17 lead after 10 minutes.
The hot shooting would not last for either team as the second quarter saw both teams combine to make only 26 percent of their shots while accounting for only 17 points (KSU 9-8), less than half of the 38 points that were scored in the opening frame.
Jayde Van Hyfte (layup), Taya Hanson (3-pointer) and Elenga (layup) scored consecutive baskets to help ASU take a 40-32 lead at the midpoint of the third quarter. ASU would eventually take a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter thanks to Ryan, who drained a shot at the third-quarter buzzer.
The Wildcats (7-3) scored the first four points of the final period to cut ASU's lead to 48-45 with 9:20 remaining. They were still within four points with five minutes left, but the Sun Devils closed the game with a 13-3 run to seal their sixth straight win.
Defensively, ASU allowed the Wildcats to make only two field goals – 15 percent of their overall attempts – in the final quarter. After Kansas State's last field goal with 5:27 remaining, the Wildcats scored their final three points of the game at the line.
Promoted as an event called 'Battle by the Bluff,'Sunday's game was a homecoming for five Sun Devils who hail from the Midwest: Ibis (Omaha, Neb.), Jamie Ruden (Rochester, Minn.), Kiara Russell (Minneapolis, Minn.), Eva Rubin (Flossmoor, Ill.) and Van Hyfte (Annawan, Ill.).
The Sun Devils close out the non-conference portion of their schedule on Thursday (2 p.m. MT) when they host Fresno State. The game can be seen via live stream at https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university and can be heard on TuneIn.