Sun Devil WBB forces OT before coming up short against Minnesota

TEMPE, Ariz. -- In a game of runs, the Sun Devil women's basketball team erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to send a bout with Minnesota to overtime, but couldn't produce one final push in the extra period, falling to the Gophers, 66-59 on Friday night at Desert Financial Arena.
 
After knocking down 47 percent (8-17) of their shots from long range in Tuesday's win over Northern Colorado, the Sun Devils (1-1) managed to make only 18 percent (4-22) of their 3-pointers on Friday. Overall, ASU shot 33 percent for the game after a 47-percent outing on Tuesday.
 
"Basketball is decision making and positioning and we had really bad decision making and positioning tonight," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "It was disappointing. The shooting percentage is a reflection of our bad decision-making on offense. We're a work in progress, we know that. Minnesota lost a game they shouldn't have lost at home (on Tuesday and) they came in here really hungry, and they did a good job so credit them."
 
Taya Hanson (16 points) and Jade Loville (15 points), fresh off an 18-point effort in a win against Northern Colorado earlier in the week, combined for 31 points.
 
Maggie Besselink, the Sun Devils' tough interior presence, set a career-high in rebounds after collecting 15 versus the Gophers.
 
The Gophers (1-1) were led by the trio of Jasmine Powell (21 points), Kadiatou Sissoko (14 points), Sara Scalia (13 points), who combined for 48 of the team's 66 points.
 
The Sun Devils went from leading by three points at the half to facing a 50-40 deficit less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. A 7-0 run, powered by two three-pointers from Hanson, knotted the game at 54-54 with 1:35 left. Neither team scored over the remaining 95 seconds of regulation, sending the third ever matchup between the two schools to overtime.
 
In the bonus five minutes of play, the Gophers scored nine of the first 11 points of the extra session to take control of the game and secure the win.
 
"I think we needed some reality," Turner Thorne said. "We don't rebound the ball enough and we had (get a stop with 14 seconds) and grab the ball, advance it, take the game and we didn't do it. Some good teachable moments. I'm glad that we fought back."
 
The Sun Devils honored Briann January, one of the best to ever don the Maroon & Gold, by honoring her No. 20 jersey and displaying it in the rafters in a halftime ceremony. January twice earned honorable mention all-America honors from the AP (2008-09) and was a two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Pac-10 in 2009.

Welcome to the rafters ??

Congratulations @BriannJanuary pic.twitter.com/on0z4XkYnC

— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) November 13, 2021

At the conclusion of her Sun Devil career, January was at or near the top of several ASU career statistical categories including assists (first, 538/now second), steals (second, 265), free throws (second, 401), 3-point field goal percentage (fourth, .399), 3-point field goals (fifth, 132/now sixth) and points (seventh, 1,317/now ninth).

The Sun Devils return to action next Wednesday (11 a.m. MST) when they play at BYU.

LAST SIX OVERTIME GAMES BEFORE FRIDAY

W, 66-64 vs. Arizona on Feb. 28, 2021

W, 76-75 (3OT) vs. USC on Jan. 31, 2020

W, 74-69 vs. Idaho State on Dec. 8, 2019

W, 79-76 (2OT) at Oregon State on Jan. 20, 2019

W, 72-62  (2OT) vs. Cal on Jan. 1, 2017

W, 63-61 at Stanford on Feb. 14, 2016