TEMPE, Ariz. – Courtney Ekmark (17 points) and Kianna Ibis (15 points) combined for 32 points to help lead the No. 17 Arizona State women's basketball team to a 68-52 win over Fresno State on Thursday.
Ekmark knocked down five of ASU's nine 3-pointers in helping the Sun Devils (9-2) secure their seventh win in a row heading into Pac-12 play. Also contributing to ASU's offensive effort were Robbi Ryan (seven points/2-3 FGs), Sophia Elenga (six points/3-4 FGs/four rebounds) and Iris Mbulito (five points/1-2 FGs/), who combined to make 67 percent of their shots (6-9 FGs).
Charnea Johnson-Chapman led ASU's rebounding effort with eight, including a game-high five offensive boards.
Kiara Russell (five assists/tied season high), Reili Richardson (four assists) and Johnson-Chapman (three assists/tied career high) combined for 12 of ASU's 19 assists in the game. Russell also added four rebounds and two steals while Richardson also had a pair of steals.
Although Fresno State (6-4) led for less than three minutes of the game, the Bulldogs proved to be a resilient opponent as they did not trail by more than four points until the final three minutes of the second quarter. Jumpers by Johnson-Chapman and Ibis in the last 80 seconds of the half helped give the Sun Devils a seven-point lead at the break.
Mbulito and Ibis combined to score the first eight points of the third period to help the Sun Devils increase their lead to 13 points, 43-30, three minutes into the second half.
The Bulldogs would counter by scoring eight straight points to get back within five points, 43-38. That's as close as they would get as Richardson (layup), Ekmark (3-pointer) and Ryan (3-pointer) accounted for all the points on ASU's 8-2 run that put the Sun Devils back up by double digits, 51-40.
The Sun Devils started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run that extended their lead to 14 after a free throw by Ryan with seven minutes remaining.
The last of Ekmark's three triples in the final quarter gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 65-49 with under three minutes left.
Just like in last Sunday's win over Kansas State, the Sun Devils saved their best for last on the defensive end as the Bulldogs made just 21 percent (3-14 FGs/10 points) of their shots over the last 10 minutes. Combined with what it did in the fourth quarter against Kansas State (2-13 FGs/15 percent/10 points), ASU has allowed the opposition to shoot just 18.5 percent (5-27) at the most critical time of the last two games.
The Sun Devils will return to action on Sun., Dec. 30 (5 p.m. MT) when they travel to Tucson, Ariz., to take on Arizona in the first round of the annual Territorial Cup Series.
Ekmark knocked down five of ASU's nine 3-pointers in helping the Sun Devils (9-2) secure their seventh win in a row heading into Pac-12 play. Also contributing to ASU's offensive effort were Robbi Ryan (seven points/2-3 FGs), Sophia Elenga (six points/3-4 FGs/four rebounds) and Iris Mbulito (five points/1-2 FGs/), who combined to make 67 percent of their shots (6-9 FGs).
Charnea Johnson-Chapman led ASU's rebounding effort with eight, including a game-high five offensive boards.
Kiara Russell (five assists/tied season high), Reili Richardson (four assists) and Johnson-Chapman (three assists/tied career high) combined for 12 of ASU's 19 assists in the game. Russell also added four rebounds and two steals while Richardson also had a pair of steals.
Although Fresno State (6-4) led for less than three minutes of the game, the Bulldogs proved to be a resilient opponent as they did not trail by more than four points until the final three minutes of the second quarter. Jumpers by Johnson-Chapman and Ibis in the last 80 seconds of the half helped give the Sun Devils a seven-point lead at the break.
Mbulito and Ibis combined to score the first eight points of the third period to help the Sun Devils increase their lead to 13 points, 43-30, three minutes into the second half.
The Bulldogs would counter by scoring eight straight points to get back within five points, 43-38. That's as close as they would get as Richardson (layup), Ekmark (3-pointer) and Ryan (3-pointer) accounted for all the points on ASU's 8-2 run that put the Sun Devils back up by double digits, 51-40.
The Sun Devils started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run that extended their lead to 14 after a free throw by Ryan with seven minutes remaining.
The last of Ekmark's three triples in the final quarter gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 65-49 with under three minutes left.
Just like in last Sunday's win over Kansas State, the Sun Devils saved their best for last on the defensive end as the Bulldogs made just 21 percent (3-14 FGs/10 points) of their shots over the last 10 minutes. Combined with what it did in the fourth quarter against Kansas State (2-13 FGs/15 percent/10 points), ASU has allowed the opposition to shoot just 18.5 percent (5-27) at the most critical time of the last two games.
The Sun Devils will return to action on Sun., Dec. 30 (5 p.m. MT) when they travel to Tucson, Ariz., to take on Arizona in the first round of the annual Territorial Cup Series.