BOULDER, Colo. – Kianna Ibis scored a season-high 27 points to help lead the No. 22 Arizona State women's basketball team to a 76-70 win over Colorado on Sunday.
After finding the mark on just 30 percent of their shots in the first quarter, the Sun Devils (11-3, 2-1 Pac-12) found the sweet spot on 54.5 percent of their shots (24-44) over the last 30 minutes of the game.
Kiara Russell (nine points), Charnea Johnson-Chapman (eight points, six rebounds), Robbi Ryan (eight points, five rebounds), Sophia Elenga (seven points) and Courtney Ekmark (seven points) also produced solid offensive outings for the Sun Devils, who were victorious for the eighth time in nine games.
In addition to recording the highest single-game point total by a Sun Devil thus far in 2018-19, Ibis also led ASU's efforts on the boards with seven and tied with Ryan for the team lead in steals (two).
Ibis, who scored the first six of ASU's eight straight points in the Sun Devils' come-from-behind win at Utah on Friday, ignited another difference-making scoring burst on Sunday. With ASU trailing by four late in the third quarter Ibis drilled a jumper that produced the first two of what would eventually be 15 straight points by the Sun Devils in just under five minutes of game time.
Ibis, Ryan, Ekmark and Elenga all accounted for points during the scoring run which concluded with a triple by Ryan that gave ASU its first double-digit lead of the game, 64-53 with 5:18 remaining.
The Buffaloes (10-4, 0-3) would not go down without staging one last stand in an attempt to secure their first conference win of the season. After producing an eight-point rally in the final 80 seconds of Friday's comeback win, the Sun Devils nearly had the tables turned on them as Colorado whittled ASU's once 11-point lead all the way down to two after Kennedy Leonard made one of two free throws with 52 seconds remaining.
As she had been all game long, Ibis (4-4 FTs) was once again clutch in the final minute as the senior All-Pac-12 performer combined with Russell (2-2 FTs) to make six free throws to close out the win. Equally important were a pair of offensive rebounds Ibis battled to pull down in the final 30 seconds that occurred with ASU still up by two.
Defensively, ASU limited Colorado to shoot just 29 percent from long range.
Leonard's 20 points led the Buffaloes, who had three other players reach double figures in scoring.
The Sun Devils return to action on Friday night (7 p.m.) when they host No. 6 Stanford.
After finding the mark on just 30 percent of their shots in the first quarter, the Sun Devils (11-3, 2-1 Pac-12) found the sweet spot on 54.5 percent of their shots (24-44) over the last 30 minutes of the game.
Kiara Russell (nine points), Charnea Johnson-Chapman (eight points, six rebounds), Robbi Ryan (eight points, five rebounds), Sophia Elenga (seven points) and Courtney Ekmark (seven points) also produced solid offensive outings for the Sun Devils, who were victorious for the eighth time in nine games.
In addition to recording the highest single-game point total by a Sun Devil thus far in 2018-19, Ibis also led ASU's efforts on the boards with seven and tied with Ryan for the team lead in steals (two).
Ibis, who scored the first six of ASU's eight straight points in the Sun Devils' come-from-behind win at Utah on Friday, ignited another difference-making scoring burst on Sunday. With ASU trailing by four late in the third quarter Ibis drilled a jumper that produced the first two of what would eventually be 15 straight points by the Sun Devils in just under five minutes of game time.
Ibis, Ryan, Ekmark and Elenga all accounted for points during the scoring run which concluded with a triple by Ryan that gave ASU its first double-digit lead of the game, 64-53 with 5:18 remaining.
The Buffaloes (10-4, 0-3) would not go down without staging one last stand in an attempt to secure their first conference win of the season. After producing an eight-point rally in the final 80 seconds of Friday's comeback win, the Sun Devils nearly had the tables turned on them as Colorado whittled ASU's once 11-point lead all the way down to two after Kennedy Leonard made one of two free throws with 52 seconds remaining.
As she had been all game long, Ibis (4-4 FTs) was once again clutch in the final minute as the senior All-Pac-12 performer combined with Russell (2-2 FTs) to make six free throws to close out the win. Equally important were a pair of offensive rebounds Ibis battled to pull down in the final 30 seconds that occurred with ASU still up by two.
Defensively, ASU limited Colorado to shoot just 29 percent from long range.
Leonard's 20 points led the Buffaloes, who had three other players reach double figures in scoring.
The Sun Devils return to action on Friday night (7 p.m.) when they host No. 6 Stanford.