TEMPE, Ariz. – Behind senior post Ja'Tavia Tapley's 11 points and career-high 18 rebounds, the Arizona State women's basketball team overcame a sluggish first-half performance and a 12-point, second-half deficit to top BYU 60-52 and give head coach Charli Turner Thorne her 450th win at ASU.
Reili Richardson scored 12 of her season-high 15 points in the third quarter to help ignite the comeback for the Sun Devils (6-2). Jayde Van Hyfte and Taya Hanson added eight points each, while Robbi Ryan had seven points for the Sun Devils, who shot 42 percent in the second half after managing only 18 percent over the first 20 minutes.
Tapley, who also had a career-high five assists, had her first double-double as a Sun Devil and has now scored in double figures in five of ASU's eight games.
The Sun Devils started the second half down by six. After the deficit doubled to 12 two minutes into the third quarter, the Sun Devils woke up and reeled off the game's next 14 points to take a 31-29 lead.
After BYU tied the game at 31-31, the Sun Devils closed the quarter with a 10-2 run and took a 41-33 lead into the fourth quarter.
Richardson's three triples and a 50-percent shooting effort punctuated the quarter for the Sun Devils.
ASU led by as many as 10 after a layup by Van Hyfte put the Sun Devils up 51-41 with 3:45 remaining.
An 11-3 run by the Cougars helped BYU pull within two with 28 seconds remaining. They would not get any closer as Richardson (2-2), Kiara Russell (2-2) and Tapley (2-2) combined to go 6-6 from the line and help the Sun Devils close out the win.
The Sun Devils close out the weekend on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when they host Idaho State at Desert Financial Arena.
Reili Richardson scored 12 of her season-high 15 points in the third quarter to help ignite the comeback for the Sun Devils (6-2). Jayde Van Hyfte and Taya Hanson added eight points each, while Robbi Ryan had seven points for the Sun Devils, who shot 42 percent in the second half after managing only 18 percent over the first 20 minutes.
Tapley, who also had a career-high five assists, had her first double-double as a Sun Devil and has now scored in double figures in five of ASU's eight games.
The Sun Devils started the second half down by six. After the deficit doubled to 12 two minutes into the third quarter, the Sun Devils woke up and reeled off the game's next 14 points to take a 31-29 lead.
After BYU tied the game at 31-31, the Sun Devils closed the quarter with a 10-2 run and took a 41-33 lead into the fourth quarter.
Richardson's three triples and a 50-percent shooting effort punctuated the quarter for the Sun Devils.
ASU led by as many as 10 after a layup by Van Hyfte put the Sun Devils up 51-41 with 3:45 remaining.
An 11-3 run by the Cougars helped BYU pull within two with 28 seconds remaining. They would not get any closer as Richardson (2-2), Kiara Russell (2-2) and Tapley (2-2) combined to go 6-6 from the line and help the Sun Devils close out the win.
The Sun Devils close out the weekend on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when they host Idaho State at Desert Financial Arena.