TEMPE, Ariz. – Freshman Jaddan Simmons scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half to help lead the Arizona State women's basketball team to a 63-58 win over USC in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.
Junior Taya Hanson, sophomore Eboni Walker and freshman Katelyn Levings added nine points apiece for the Sun Devils (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12), who are off to their first 4-0 start since 2017-18.
ASU was down by as many as eight in the first quarter before using a 29-6 run to take a 15-point lead four minutes into the third quarter. The Sun Devils then had to stave off a determined USC squad (1-1, 0-1) as the Trojans used a 14-0 run to tie the game two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Clinging to a 57-56 lead with five minutes left, senior Bre'yanna Sanders knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a two-possession game, 60-56.
Kyra White's basket at the opposite end got USC back within two. That's as close as USC would get as the Sun Devils kept the Trojans from scoring over the last three-plus minutes of the game. Simmons hit three free throws in the final 12 seconds to seal the win.
Simmons, who did not have any turnovers and now has only three in more than 115 minutes of play, was 9-of-11 from the line helping the Sun Devils shoot 83 percent for the game (15-18).
ASU scored 17 points off of 16 forced turnovers and edged the Trojans in rebounds, 36-35. Sanders led the way on the boards with a career-high eight rebounds while Levings added six.
USC scored the first five points and never trailed in the first quarter. Down by seven, the Sun Devils got within two after a 3-pointer by Sanders and a layup by Iris Mbulito made the count 11-9. A 3-pointer later by Hanson later in the quarter got ASU within one, 16-15. The Trojans would reel off the game's next seven points to take a 23-15 lead. Hanson's bucket at the buzzer got ASU's back within six at the end of the first 10 minutes. Levings scored seven points in the first quarter to lead the ASU.
Hanson's basket sparked a 15-0 run for the Sun Devils as ASU held the Trojans scoreless for the first 6:21 of the second quarter. Four different players –Walker (five points), Hanson (four points), Simmons (four points) and Imogen Greenslade (two points) – scored for ASU during the run.
The Sun Devils would go on to outscore the Trojans 19-5 in the second quarter to take a 36-28 lead into the locker room. Walker (nine points), Levings (seven points) and Hanson (seven points) combined for 23 of ASU's 36 points in the first half.
The Trojans scored the first point of the second half, but the Sun Devils would counter with eight straight points to take their largest lead of the game, 44-29, after a free throw by Sydnei Caldwell with 6:01 remaining in the third quarter.
The Trojans would take the momentum back as they ended the quarter on a 6-0 run and then scored the first eight points of the final frame to knot the game at 50-50 with 8:01 remaining.
The Sun Devils responded with the next five points, but could not distance themselves further as USC came back with four straight points to get back within a single point, 55-54.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when they host No. 9 UCLA at Desert Financial Arena. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona and Los Angeles and heard on KDUS AM 1060.
Junior Taya Hanson, sophomore Eboni Walker and freshman Katelyn Levings added nine points apiece for the Sun Devils (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12), who are off to their first 4-0 start since 2017-18.
ASU was down by as many as eight in the first quarter before using a 29-6 run to take a 15-point lead four minutes into the third quarter. The Sun Devils then had to stave off a determined USC squad (1-1, 0-1) as the Trojans used a 14-0 run to tie the game two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Clinging to a 57-56 lead with five minutes left, senior Bre'yanna Sanders knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a two-possession game, 60-56.
Kyra White's basket at the opposite end got USC back within two. That's as close as USC would get as the Sun Devils kept the Trojans from scoring over the last three-plus minutes of the game. Simmons hit three free throws in the final 12 seconds to seal the win.
Simmons, who did not have any turnovers and now has only three in more than 115 minutes of play, was 9-of-11 from the line helping the Sun Devils shoot 83 percent for the game (15-18).
ASU scored 17 points off of 16 forced turnovers and edged the Trojans in rebounds, 36-35. Sanders led the way on the boards with a career-high eight rebounds while Levings added six.
USC scored the first five points and never trailed in the first quarter. Down by seven, the Sun Devils got within two after a 3-pointer by Sanders and a layup by Iris Mbulito made the count 11-9. A 3-pointer later by Hanson later in the quarter got ASU within one, 16-15. The Trojans would reel off the game's next seven points to take a 23-15 lead. Hanson's bucket at the buzzer got ASU's back within six at the end of the first 10 minutes. Levings scored seven points in the first quarter to lead the ASU.
Hanson's basket sparked a 15-0 run for the Sun Devils as ASU held the Trojans scoreless for the first 6:21 of the second quarter. Four different players –Walker (five points), Hanson (four points), Simmons (four points) and Imogen Greenslade (two points) – scored for ASU during the run.
The Sun Devils would go on to outscore the Trojans 19-5 in the second quarter to take a 36-28 lead into the locker room. Walker (nine points), Levings (seven points) and Hanson (seven points) combined for 23 of ASU's 36 points in the first half.
The Trojans scored the first point of the second half, but the Sun Devils would counter with eight straight points to take their largest lead of the game, 44-29, after a free throw by Sydnei Caldwell with 6:01 remaining in the third quarter.
The Trojans would take the momentum back as they ended the quarter on a 6-0 run and then scored the first eight points of the final frame to knot the game at 50-50 with 8:01 remaining.
The Sun Devils responded with the next five points, but could not distance themselves further as USC came back with four straight points to get back within a single point, 55-54.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when they host No. 9 UCLA at Desert Financial Arena. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona and Los Angeles and heard on KDUS AM 1060.