CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half, the Sun Devil women's basketball team willed its way to a 75-73 victory over Oregon State on Thursday, giving ASU head coach Natasha Adair the 175th win of her career.
Led by Tyi Skinner, who recorded her 14th 20-point game by scoring 19 of her game-high 27 points in the second half, the Sun Devils (8-18, 1-16 Pac-12) overcame their second-largest deficit to win since they pulled off the biggest comeback in school history, scoring the last 20 points of the game to erase an 18-point deficit vs. Utah on Feb. 17, 2019.
Arizona State warmed up Gill Coliseum, starting the game 4-of-7 from the field behind Kayla Moukwah's six points in the opening quarter. Oregon State (11-18, 3-14) answered back with a strong run of its own, shooting 9-of-14 from the field to take a six-point lead into the second quarter.
The Sun Devils trailed by 15 after the Beavers went on a 9-2 run in the first four minutes of the second quarter. They held strong for the remainder of the quarter and trailed 36-26 at halftime after a 5-0 run to end the half.
Much like the previous quarter, the Sun Devils couldn't gain momentum from the start, as the Beavers went on a 9-2 run in the first 3:17 of the third quarter to open up a 17-point lead, 45-28.
And then Tyi Skinner does what she does best.
Skinner scored 13 of her 27 points in a 4:57 stretch in the quarter, bringing the Sun Devils to within four points and closing the gap to five points, 50-45 at the end of the third.
ON FIRE ?? @ShowTim3_Tyi
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) February 24, 2023
SUN DEVILS ARE ON A 14-0 RUN ?? ?? #ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/BCNRumpmqT
Tonight marked Skinner's 14th time scoring 20 or more points in a game this season and the fourth game in February alone. Additionally, her 15 points and six made shots are a career-high in any quarter. Skinner's 27-point performance moved her up to eighth on the Arizona State Women's Basketball Scoring List for most points in a season.
TYI SKINNER'S 14 SUN DEVIL 20-POINT GAMES (AS OF FEB. 24, 2023)
29 vs. Missouri (Dec. 4, 2022)
29 at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30, 2022)
28 at UCLA (Feb. 5, 2023)
27 at Oregon State (Feb. 23, 2023)
27 vs. Colorado (Feb. 17, 2023)
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)
23 vs. Stanford (Feb. 12, 2023)
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)
MOST SINGLE-SEASON POINTS IN ASU HISTORY
683 – Kym Hampton, 1981-82
576 – Olivia Jones, 1982-83
568 – Kym Hampton, 1982-83
565 – Kym Hampton, 1980-81
550 – Amanda Levens, 2001-02
545 – Kym Hampton, 1983-84
545 – Karen O'Connor, 1988-89
498 – Tyi Skinner, 2022-23
496 – Cassandra Lender, 1980-81
471 – Shamona Mosley, 1987-88
470 – Amanda Levens, 2000-01
The Sun Devils continued their third-quarter pace, making five of their first seven shots. During that opening stretch, ASU took its first lead since the 6:05 mark of the first quarter after Jaddan Simmons connected from long range – capping a 27-8 run in the span of 9:34 – to give ASU a 55-53 lead with 6:47 remaining.
Later in the quarter, with ASU up 61-58, Oregon State reclaimed the lead after 5-0, the first of six lead changes in the final quarter.
Almost immediately after the Beavers retook the lead, Trayanna Crisp hit a three-pointer to put ASU back on top, 64-63.
Don't leave @TrayannaCrisp open ?? ??
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) February 24, 2023
?? Pac-12 Arizona
?? https://t.co/9jAEpRSnhn#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/f4k7L6V35S
The Beavers would not go away, hitting two free throws to retake the lead 65-64 with 2:19 remaining. Simmons (corner three) and Treasure Hunt (running floater) scored the game's next five points to give ASU a 69-65 lead with 52 seconds left. The Sun Devils then went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.
The Sun Devils also shot 56.7% from beyond the arc, its fourth-highest percentage in a game since 2017-18.
BEST SINGLE-GAME 3PT% SINCE 2017-18:
63.6% - vs. Colorado (Feb. 21, 2020)
58.8% - vs. California (Feb. 28, 2020)
57.1% - at Washington (Jan. 17, 2020)
56.7% - vs. Oregon St. (Feb. 23, 2023)
55.6% - vs. Arizona (Feb. 28, 2021)
54.5% - vs. Arizona (Feb. 11, 2022)
Four players were in double-figures for the Sun Devils: Tyi Skinner led both teams with 27 points, Kayla Moukwah scored 14, Treasure Hunt added 13, and Jaddan Simmons rounded it out with 12 points.
Second-most FTs going 100% from the free throw line with a minimum of 10 makes (16/16 at Arizona, Jan. 12, 2008).
Eight turnovers ties the fewest this season (vs. Utah and vs. American).
Additionally, the Sun Devils have forced opponents to turn the ball over 15-or-more times in nine of the last 11 games.Jaddan Simmons tied season-highs with eight rebounds and six assists.
QUOTES
Arizona State Women's Basketball Head Coach Natasha Adair
On the team's performance:
"We talked about defense from Day one. You've seen this group fight. You've seen this group go through adversity and there was a moment in the game where we could've put our heads down but we did not. There was a moment in the game where we could've felt sorry for ourselves but we did not. And that is the resiliency of this group. It has been building and building. There were so many plays ... 14-of-14 from the free throw line. That's winning time. I thought we made the right reads down the stretch. We shared the ball. We stepped up and made big shots, the baseline drive and kick to Jaddan (Simmons) for the three. I mean, I thought there were so many winning moments. On the defensive end we call it perfect possessions in practice. It had to come down to a stop, it had to come down to a a rebound, we told them they were going to foul you and that you have to win this game on the free throw line and no point did you see fear or hesitancy in their eyes. You saw a team that wanted this game, they wanted to go take it and they did."
On the offensive balance and chemistry:
"Four players were in double-figures tonight. But just players who stepped up in every possession. This is such a great win for our team because we work so hard. My heart is so happy for them. No one deserves this win more than them. I'm just super proud of them."
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils look to finish the regular season strong in Eugene against Oregon on Saturday at 1 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Oregon and heard on KDUS AM 1060.