CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Courtney Ekmark scored a game-high 20 points and Kianna Ibis added 12 points to lead the Arizona State women's basketball team to a 60-45 win over UCF in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Sun Devils (21-10), the No. 5 seed in the Portland Regional, will play the No. 4 seed and host school Miami on Sunday with a berth in next week's Sweet 16 in Portland on the line.
Ibis led ASU with 10 rebounds for her fifth career double-double while Ekmark and Sophia Elenga added seven boards each for the Sun Devils, who outrebounded the Knights 42-27.
The Sun Devil senior class, which is made up of Ekmark (20 points, seven rebounds), Ibis (12 points, 10 rebounds), Charnea Johnson-Chapman (eight points, five rebounds) and Elenga (six points, seven rebounds) combined for 46 of ASU's 60 points and 29 of its 42 rebounds.
Reili Richardson, who came into the game No. 5 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, had a game-high five assists, which moved her into a tie for third on ASU's all-time assists list (441).
UCF (26-7) was led by Kornelia Wright, who had 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting.
The Sun Devils scored 10 of the first 12 points to take a 10-2 lead 7:30 into the game. Ekmark scored the first five points, knocking down a triple and then adding two more on a layup. Ibis followed with a three-point play and Elenga hit a jumper to give the Sun Devils the early eight-point advantage.
The Knights closed the quarter on a 5-2 run, leaving ASU with a 12-7 lead after 10 minutes.
Six different Sun Devils combined to score 14 points in the second quarter. ASU started the frame with a 13-4 run to take a 25-11 lead after Jayde Van Hyfte's layup with 2:14 remaining in the half. They eventually took a 26-16 lead into the locker room.
Ekmark started the third quarter with back-to-back triples to quickly expand ASU's lead to 16 points. Ekmark (4-4 FGs, 10 points) and Ibis (2-2 FGs, 2-2 FTs, six points) combined for 16 of ASU's 22 points in the quarter while hitting all six of their field goal attempts and both free throws. ASU's lead grew to as many as 22 after Elenga's layup put ASU up 46-24 with 1:41 left.
A 12-2 run got the Knights within 12 early in the fourth quarter. Ekmark put an end to any comeback hopes the Knights had after she hit her fourth and final 3-pointer of the game to give ASU a 57-41 lead with 3:20 remaining.
Now with 64 3-pointers this season, Ekmark is one away from tying the No. 2 spot on ASU's single-season 3-pointers list, which is shared by former Sun Devils Katie Hempen (65 in 2015-16) and current assistant coach Briann January, who had 65 in 2008-09. Hempen holds the single-season record of 76 set in 2014-15.
The Sun Devils are in the midst of a school record six consecutive NCAA appearances and six consecutive 20-win seasons. ASU has now won at least one game in 12 of the last 13 NCAA Tournaments it has played in.
Sunday's second round game is slated to start at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN2 and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn channel.
The Sun Devils (21-10), the No. 5 seed in the Portland Regional, will play the No. 4 seed and host school Miami on Sunday with a berth in next week's Sweet 16 in Portland on the line.
Ibis led ASU with 10 rebounds for her fifth career double-double while Ekmark and Sophia Elenga added seven boards each for the Sun Devils, who outrebounded the Knights 42-27.
The Sun Devil senior class, which is made up of Ekmark (20 points, seven rebounds), Ibis (12 points, 10 rebounds), Charnea Johnson-Chapman (eight points, five rebounds) and Elenga (six points, seven rebounds) combined for 46 of ASU's 60 points and 29 of its 42 rebounds.
Reili Richardson, who came into the game No. 5 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, had a game-high five assists, which moved her into a tie for third on ASU's all-time assists list (441).
UCF (26-7) was led by Kornelia Wright, who had 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting.
The Sun Devils scored 10 of the first 12 points to take a 10-2 lead 7:30 into the game. Ekmark scored the first five points, knocking down a triple and then adding two more on a layup. Ibis followed with a three-point play and Elenga hit a jumper to give the Sun Devils the early eight-point advantage.
The Knights closed the quarter on a 5-2 run, leaving ASU with a 12-7 lead after 10 minutes.
Six different Sun Devils combined to score 14 points in the second quarter. ASU started the frame with a 13-4 run to take a 25-11 lead after Jayde Van Hyfte's layup with 2:14 remaining in the half. They eventually took a 26-16 lead into the locker room.
Ekmark started the third quarter with back-to-back triples to quickly expand ASU's lead to 16 points. Ekmark (4-4 FGs, 10 points) and Ibis (2-2 FGs, 2-2 FTs, six points) combined for 16 of ASU's 22 points in the quarter while hitting all six of their field goal attempts and both free throws. ASU's lead grew to as many as 22 after Elenga's layup put ASU up 46-24 with 1:41 left.
A 12-2 run got the Knights within 12 early in the fourth quarter. Ekmark put an end to any comeback hopes the Knights had after she hit her fourth and final 3-pointer of the game to give ASU a 57-41 lead with 3:20 remaining.
Now with 64 3-pointers this season, Ekmark is one away from tying the No. 2 spot on ASU's single-season 3-pointers list, which is shared by former Sun Devils Katie Hempen (65 in 2015-16) and current assistant coach Briann January, who had 65 in 2008-09. Hempen holds the single-season record of 76 set in 2014-15.
The Sun Devils are in the midst of a school record six consecutive NCAA appearances and six consecutive 20-win seasons. ASU has now won at least one game in 12 of the last 13 NCAA Tournaments it has played in.
Sunday's second round game is slated to start at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN2 and heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn channel.