TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 16 Arizona State women's basketball team was unable to duplicate the late-game heroics it produced in recent wins as it fell to UCLA 61-59 on Friday in the 13thannual Sparky's Kids to College Field Trip Game.
A 3-pointer by UCLA's Japreece Dean with nine seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning points as the Sun Devils were not able to come up with a score on the opposite end that would have either produced a win or sent the game into overtime.
Courtney Ekmark led ASU (13-6, 4-4 Pac-12) in both points (14) and rebounds (6) on Friday as the Sun Devils fell to 4-2 in games decided by five points or less. Also scoring in double figures for the Sun Devils, who shot 40 percent and were outrebounded for only the third time this season, were Reili Richardson (12 points) and Kianna Ibis (10 points).
Kiara Russell led the Sun Devils with four assists, while Charnea Johnson-Chapman, Richardson, Ekmark and Robbi Ryan had two assists each. As a team the Sun Devils had only seven turnovers against UCLA, the fifth time this season they have had 10 or fewer turnovers.
UCLA (10-9, 3-4 Pac-12) was led by Lauryn Miller (17 points), Dean (14 points) and Micaela Onyenwere (11 points), who combined for 42 of the Bruins' points.
In their two most recent wins – 62-61 vs. Cal on Jan. 13 and 79-76 in 2OT at Oregon State last Sunday – the Sun Devils were able to make plays to push themselves over the top. It appeared they were going to once again find a way to come through with the win after Ekmark's three-point play gave the Sun Devils a 57-53 lead with 2:20 remaining.
The Bruins would rally, scoring the game's next five points to go up 58-57 after Lajahna Drummer's triple with 50 seconds left.
Richardson, who scored 10 points in the two overtime periods in ASU's win at Oregon State on Sunday, returned the advantage to the Sun Devils after driving to the basket and scoring on a layup with 36 seconds left.
Dean, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, then put the Bruins ahead to stay with her triple.
Friday's game featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes as the largest lead either team could build was six after Richardson's 3-pointer gave ASU a 30-24 lead with 1:49 left in the first half.
The Bruins shot 50 percent in the third quarter and outscored the Sun Devils 18-13 to tie the game at 44-44 entering the final quarter.
Friday's game had a special 11 a.m. start time as fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students from a range of Valley schools came out to support ASU women's basketball. Sparky's Kids to College is an initiative designed to introduce elementary school kids to a college campus. Friday's crowd of 7,322 matched the highest total to attend a Sun Devil women's basketball field trip day event.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday (1 p.m. MT) when they host USC at Wells Fargo Arena. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.
A 3-pointer by UCLA's Japreece Dean with nine seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning points as the Sun Devils were not able to come up with a score on the opposite end that would have either produced a win or sent the game into overtime.
Courtney Ekmark led ASU (13-6, 4-4 Pac-12) in both points (14) and rebounds (6) on Friday as the Sun Devils fell to 4-2 in games decided by five points or less. Also scoring in double figures for the Sun Devils, who shot 40 percent and were outrebounded for only the third time this season, were Reili Richardson (12 points) and Kianna Ibis (10 points).
Kiara Russell led the Sun Devils with four assists, while Charnea Johnson-Chapman, Richardson, Ekmark and Robbi Ryan had two assists each. As a team the Sun Devils had only seven turnovers against UCLA, the fifth time this season they have had 10 or fewer turnovers.
UCLA (10-9, 3-4 Pac-12) was led by Lauryn Miller (17 points), Dean (14 points) and Micaela Onyenwere (11 points), who combined for 42 of the Bruins' points.
In their two most recent wins – 62-61 vs. Cal on Jan. 13 and 79-76 in 2OT at Oregon State last Sunday – the Sun Devils were able to make plays to push themselves over the top. It appeared they were going to once again find a way to come through with the win after Ekmark's three-point play gave the Sun Devils a 57-53 lead with 2:20 remaining.
The Bruins would rally, scoring the game's next five points to go up 58-57 after Lajahna Drummer's triple with 50 seconds left.
Richardson, who scored 10 points in the two overtime periods in ASU's win at Oregon State on Sunday, returned the advantage to the Sun Devils after driving to the basket and scoring on a layup with 36 seconds left.
Dean, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, then put the Bruins ahead to stay with her triple.
Friday's game featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes as the largest lead either team could build was six after Richardson's 3-pointer gave ASU a 30-24 lead with 1:49 left in the first half.
The Bruins shot 50 percent in the third quarter and outscored the Sun Devils 18-13 to tie the game at 44-44 entering the final quarter.
Friday's game had a special 11 a.m. start time as fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students from a range of Valley schools came out to support ASU women's basketball. Sparky's Kids to College is an initiative designed to introduce elementary school kids to a college campus. Friday's crowd of 7,322 matched the highest total to attend a Sun Devil women's basketball field trip day event.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday (1 p.m. MT) when they host USC at Wells Fargo Arena. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.