TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devils women's basketball team (7-16, 0-14 Pac-12) fell 96-64 to the No. 6 ranked Stanford Cardinal (24-3, 12-2 Pac-12) on Super Bowl Sunday at Desert Financial Arena.
Tyi Skinner, the third-best scorer in the Pac-12, had 20+ points for the 12th time this season. She has scored in double-figures for the 21st time this season, the second-most in the Pac-12.
Tyi completes the 3pt play
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) February 12, 2023
ASU: 7 Stanford: 12#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/NCR8FArtL8
This afternoon was Skinner's second game with at least 20 points against Stanford this season. This has only been done two other times by an ASU player in the last ten seasons. Additionally, in that same span, Skinner's 44 points are the most by an ASU player against Stanford in the regular season.
TYI SKINNER SUN DEVIL 20-POINT GAMES
29 vs. Missouri (Dec. 4, 2022)
29 at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30, 2022)
28 at UCLA (Feb. 5, 2003)
26 at Arizona (Dec. 29, 2022)
24 vs. American at Goombay Splash (Nov. 25, 2022)
24 at New Mexico (Nov. 20, 2022)
24 at Montana State (Nov. 14, 2022)
22 vs. Oregon State (Jan. 8, 2023)
22 at Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 11, 2022)
21 at Stanford (Dec. 31, 2022)
20 vs. Oregon (Jan. 6, 2023)
The Sun Devils, who average 14.5 made free throws per game (2nd/Pac-12/36th in the nation), made double-digit free throws for the 16th time this season.
ASU cut the lead to as few as 14 holding Stanford scoreless in a 2:41 stretch. Stanford proceeded to go on a 17-2 run in last 4:44 of first half. They shot 60% from the field, including 9/13 from three and ASU trailed 54-23 at halftime.
The Sun Devils kept it close in the second half, being outscored 42-41 across the final two quarters and ultimately fell 96-64.
Quotes:
Arizona State Women's Basketball head coach Natasha Adair
Opening Statement:
"I just talked with the team about just coming out in the third and tying up the fourth the energy that I thought we finished the game with. But there's no team anywhere that coming out in the first you can spot them. And that 29-13 first ... it gives them that momentum. And we had worked on identifying where Hannah Jump was going to be on the floor. But there were just moments in our press early, where they identified where the shooters were, we would go in for that offensive rebound, they would come up with it and kick it out to for the three. And so just those moments, you know, 22 offensive rebounds, second chance opportunities, fastbreak 33 points, 19 second chance points. Those are all controllable stats. And those are how you activate your opponent. And so we have to do a better job of limiting opponents, no matter who it is, to one shot, not letting them get that second chance opportunity. I thought we did a phenomenal job getting to the free throw line. That means we were being really aggressive 15-for-21. Obviously, our goal is 80% or better. But these are things that they work on every day. And so we have to continue growing as a team. I thought we showed fight and I thought we showed moments. But I think I say that pretty much every time I come in here and talk to you all. You see the fight and you see that see the moments. And we just have to continue to build on those moments to where they're consistent for 40 minutes. And again, that will come. That's a part of growth, that's a part of coaching, that's a part of teaching to a group that is still getting better. I thought Meg (Newman) gave us really good minutes. I thought she was aggressive. I thought Syd (Erikstrup) was really active (on defense) and trying to get us get those defensive rebounds and offensive opportunities. I thought Meg was looking for her shot today. The mid range was open. And I thought that that she knocked down some some key baskets. Jaddan (Simmons) again, she's always going to be that energizer bunny, she's flying around; she's everywhere. So that's what I want to bottle up. And I want that to continue to be contagious with our group. But this is a group that's going to keep fighting and keep getting better."
On what makes Stanford a tough matchup:
"They just keep coming. I think it was 13 of them tonight, and there's no real drop off. And you see that in other opponents where maybe those those first seven or eight aren't as good as the nine through 12 or 13. But they come in and Fran Belibi comes in and she knows her role is to rebound and she gets a couple of those second chance opportunities, so she picks up nine points. (Lauren) Betts comes in and doesn't average 13 but she can come in and make a difference and get those rebounds. So I think it's just the depth in which they play. I thought we did a phenomenal job on on (Hannah) Jump. The scout was to kind of back off a little bit, she hadn't been shooting the three ball that well, or even the 17-footer, but we couldn't let her get second chance opportunities. So I thought we did a really good job there. And even on (Cameron) Brink. When the last game she had, I think it was 17 and 14 rebounds. So we wanted to make it harder for her. But then if you take those players away, they have that depth. And that talent that comes in in that second unit. Really there's no drop off."
On the strength of the Pac-12 this year:
"I think every team has the talent. But I think there's the depth because again, they they really have no drop off. And you don't see that across the board everywhere you see, you know, people's top seven or eight, but not 13-14. So, I do think that they are talented. I do think that they work hard. And they make their open shots. But I think that goes more to their depth versus comparing them to each team in our league, because I think each team has that they just don't have as many."
On the respect she has for Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer:
"The neat story about Tara is that she doesn't talk about those things. She has reached out, she has checked in, 'Coach, how are you doing,' early on when we had to forfeit those games and she didn't have to do that. I think that's more of who she is. She cares about the game of women's basketball. She's a pioneer. She's fought for so many things for our sport. And so, obviously, she's a Hall of Famer, she's a phenomenal coach. She's a legend and the winningest coach (in women's college basketball history). And to be coaching on the same sideline with her is something that I've dreamt of. But I think more importantly, it's who she is as a person. Her character, what she stands for ... that's more of my takeaways from her the day that I got the job. My first call was from her. And so that speaks volumes. She cares about women's basketball, she cares about the path. But she also wants to wants you to know that she's there. Obviously, as competitors, you're competing to win the game, but off the court, she's there no matter what. She's just a phenomenal person."
On being able to build from today's game:
"I think you build on today for sure. We're gonna break down the film and we're going to show them where we need to improve but we're going to show them what they did well, and that's just this group you keep building and building and building and and you're seeing different players play more minutes, you know, you're seeing fit extra play more minutes Isadora Sosa play more minutes. Meg Newman play more minutes. And so as they're playing more, they're getting more experience. These are players that did not log any minutes a year ago. And so they are still learning as this whole group is still building that chemistry. So I think we will absolutely build on it, you show them the things that you did well. And then you show them the controllable plays, second chance opportunities, transition points, where if you cut those or limit those, you put yourself in a better position."
On Tyi Skinner:
"Ty is fearless. I've known her for a little while. We knew from day one when we saw her, what she could do offensively. But I'm very proud of her as the decisions that she's making. She had five assists, two turnovers, she's distributed in the ball, she's getting her teammates involved. She's just becoming a more balanced player offensively and defensively and just within her leadership, but when the lights are on ... her nickname is Showtime. So she is not afraid of the lights. She's not afraid of any moment. And she does play with a little chip on her shoulder because here's a player that was told she she was too little or she couldn't do this or you can't play at this level. And I think she's making a statement that she can."
On the strengths of Stanford 'doing the little things:'
"I think that is something that you recruit, but that is something that you teach, right? And that is a standard for sure. And so you could just see it, they were just relentless knowing their role, knowing that's what they needed to do on every shot and so a team like that ... I told our players, you might not be able to out-jump certain players, you have to stop their feet from moving and you have to be in position early, you have to track where the ball is coming because again for some of them that's their role on that team. And so I think that they are really good at that and balanced across the board. So, again, I think it's a bonus to why they are as talented as they are."
Arizona State Women's Basketball guard Tyi Skinner
On the slow start:
"The first quarter we started off really slow. I think that it was going well. We were just missing shots. Like we got the looks that we wanted. We knew the midrange would be there all game, we've just got to step up and knock them down. My teammates did a really good job of setting the screen, I just have to hit them. Just keep pushing the ball and just know the personnel. We let Hannah (Jump) get off a little bit early, knowing that she was the shooter on the team. So that gave them momentum. So we just got to we got to be aware, especially if you're not scoring, we got to get some stops."
On the successes in the second half:
"It's great. Like Coach A said, we compete. We just got to put it together for the whole game. When we put it all together, we know that we can compete with any team, we just have to put it together for 40 minutes."
On being able to get to the free throw line:
"Just being aggressive to the basket but also not being aggressive to where you're looking for the call, but more-so being aggressive trying to gather yourself and finish every time you take it to the rim. And you'll be surprised, you'll get a couple."
On biggest takeaways from this game:
"I think just like I said earlier, just letting the shooter get off early. And we know personnel, we know scout that can't happen. Letting people get it in a good spot where they post up and they want it on the block. We can't let it happen because we practice on not letting that happen. So just start the game off better and finish better, because our fourth quarters are really well. We've just got to improve in our first and third quarters."
Up Next:
The Sun Devils play the third game of a four-game homestand versus Colorado on Friday, Feb. 17th at 11:00 a.m. MST. The game can be seen on the Pac-12 Network and heard on KDUS AM 1060.