SALT LAKE CITY – Reili Richardson's buzzer-beater capped an 8-0 run by the No. 22 Arizona State women's basketball team in the final 80 seconds to help lead the Sun Devils to a come-from-behind, 65-63 win over Utah on Friday night.
Courtney Ekmark scored 15 points, Charnea Johnson-Chapman had 12 and Kianna Ibis added 11 to lead the Sun Devils, who trailed by as many as nine points in the third quarter.
Johnson-Chapman just missed a double-double as she paced ASU with eight rebounds. Ekmark added four steals (one short of tying her career high) while Richardson distributed a game-high five assists giving the junior guard sole possession of 10thplace on ASU's all-time assists list (now has 357).
Iris Mbulito came in and provided the Sun Devils with a big spark off the bench as she scored five of her eight points and added an assist in the fourth quarter. The assist set up a layup by Johnson-Chapman that gave the Sun Devils a 56-55 lead with 5:38 remaining.
The Utes (12-1, 1-1 Pac-12) responded with an 8-1 run that culminated with Megan Huff's layup that put Utah up 63-57 with 1:34 remaining.
Ibis came through with a clutch performance as the senior All-Pac-12 performer knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to knot the score at 63-63. The Sun Devils got another defensive stop at the opposite and Ekmark called timeout after grabbing the rebound with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Richardson then took the ensuing inbounds pass, quickly dribbled to the top of the key and banked the shot in at the buzzer to give ASU the win.
The final frame was the only quarter in which the Sun Devils outscored the Utes (17-12). Utah edged ASU in the first (16-15) and second (15-13) quarters to take 31-28 lead at the half. Both teams scored 20 points in the third quarter allowing Utah to maintain the same 3-point lead going into the final period.
This was the third straight game between the two teams that was decided by two points. Last season ASU came out on top 83-81 in Salt Lake City and the Utes were victorious 58-56 in Tempe, ending ASU's eight-game winning streak in the series.
With the win, the Sun Devils (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12) evened their Pac-12 record while notching a very impressive victory. Top 25 national rankings in rebound margin (No. 14), field goal percentage (No. 15) and 3-point FG percentage (No. 17) helped carry the Utes to 12 straight wins to open the season.
Huff had game highs in points (17) and rebounds (10) to lead Utah's attack.
ASU is now 2-1 this season in gamed decided by five points or less. The Sun Devils prevailed in their first road game of the season at Arkansas 88-85 on Nov. 18. ASU came up short in its upset bid of current No. 3 Louisville as the Cardinals make a basket in the final seconds to escape with a 58-56 win at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas on Nov. 23.
The Sun Devils close out their road trip on Sunday (2 p.m. MT) when they play at Colorado. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona/Mountain and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.
SUN DEVILS WIN??@reilirich hits the buzzer beater and No. 22 ASU hands undefeated Utah their first loss of the season! #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/DBiT0w8Pjx
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) January 5, 2019
Courtney Ekmark scored 15 points, Charnea Johnson-Chapman had 12 and Kianna Ibis added 11 to lead the Sun Devils, who trailed by as many as nine points in the third quarter.
Johnson-Chapman just missed a double-double as she paced ASU with eight rebounds. Ekmark added four steals (one short of tying her career high) while Richardson distributed a game-high five assists giving the junior guard sole possession of 10thplace on ASU's all-time assists list (now has 357).
Iris Mbulito came in and provided the Sun Devils with a big spark off the bench as she scored five of her eight points and added an assist in the fourth quarter. The assist set up a layup by Johnson-Chapman that gave the Sun Devils a 56-55 lead with 5:38 remaining.
The Utes (12-1, 1-1 Pac-12) responded with an 8-1 run that culminated with Megan Huff's layup that put Utah up 63-57 with 1:34 remaining.
Ibis came through with a clutch performance as the senior All-Pac-12 performer knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to knot the score at 63-63. The Sun Devils got another defensive stop at the opposite and Ekmark called timeout after grabbing the rebound with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Richardson then took the ensuing inbounds pass, quickly dribbled to the top of the key and banked the shot in at the buzzer to give ASU the win.
The final frame was the only quarter in which the Sun Devils outscored the Utes (17-12). Utah edged ASU in the first (16-15) and second (15-13) quarters to take 31-28 lead at the half. Both teams scored 20 points in the third quarter allowing Utah to maintain the same 3-point lead going into the final period.
This was the third straight game between the two teams that was decided by two points. Last season ASU came out on top 83-81 in Salt Lake City and the Utes were victorious 58-56 in Tempe, ending ASU's eight-game winning streak in the series.
With the win, the Sun Devils (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12) evened their Pac-12 record while notching a very impressive victory. Top 25 national rankings in rebound margin (No. 14), field goal percentage (No. 15) and 3-point FG percentage (No. 17) helped carry the Utes to 12 straight wins to open the season.
Huff had game highs in points (17) and rebounds (10) to lead Utah's attack.
ASU is now 2-1 this season in gamed decided by five points or less. The Sun Devils prevailed in their first road game of the season at Arkansas 88-85 on Nov. 18. ASU came up short in its upset bid of current No. 3 Louisville as the Cardinals make a basket in the final seconds to escape with a 58-56 win at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas on Nov. 23.
The Sun Devils close out their road trip on Sunday (2 p.m. MT) when they play at Colorado. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona/Mountain and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.