TEMPE, Ariz. – Despite holding one of the most prolific offenses in the country more than 30 points below its scoring average, the Sun Devil women's basketball team was not able to do enough on the offensive end in a 58-41 loss to No. 15 Utah on Friday night.
The Utes (11-3, 1-1 Pac-12), who came into the game ranked No. 5 in the nation in points per game (91.2) and the top-ranked team in the nation in field goal percentage (53.3), were held more than 33 points below their scoring average and nearly 16 percentage points below their usual shooting percentage.
"Tough one tonight" ASU head coach Natasha Adair said after ASU's second Pac-12 game of the season. "What I talked to the team about was our competitive effort. I thought we had competitive effort and I thought we had that competitive spirit. But we also talked about moments where there were just some miscues and that was our defensive rotations.
"[Utah's Alissa] Pili's going to command a lot of attention, but you can't let the other players get off and I just thought there were plays where they got second opportunities and offensive rebounds. So when finishing the play and it was a contested shot, you cannot let them get it back. So that's what we talked about more than anything as far as the adjustments. We have to be better and holding them to one shot and not letting them get second and third opportunities."
Jalyn Brown notched her fourth 20-point game of the season with a career-high 21 points while Adison Novosel came off the bench and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers for the Sun Devils (8-6, 0-2).
"That feeling is probably the best in the world, just knowing my teammates were excited and happy" Novosel said of the consecutive 3-pointers she hit in the third quarter, the second of which capped a 16-2 scoring run that got ASU within eight points. "But that feeling if we can bottle it up, I know they got my back at the end of the day and I love them all so much."
Unfortunately for ASU, it was not unable to sustain the momentum that had the fans in Desert Financial Arena ready to cheer on what would have been an even bigger comeback than the school record 20-point come-from-behind win ASU had in the same venue against the same opponent in 2019.
Brown's 3-pointer was the only field goal ASU was able to score the remainder of the quarter and the Utes took a 17-point advantage into the final period.
The Utes built their lead back up to 21 during a final quarter in which the two teams scored eight points apiece.
Neither team led by more than three points early on. After splitting the game's first 14 points, the game's first pivotal sequence came after Utah's Alissa Pili hit a pair of free throws with 5:19 remaining to give the Utes a 9-7 lead. Pili's free throws represented the first of 11 straight points the Utes scored to close out the quarter and give them an 18-7 lead going into the second frame. Brown scored four points to lead ASU.
The Sun Devils started the second quarter with renewed intensity hitting three of their first five shots. The last of those three shots – a 3-pointer by Novosel – got the Sun Devils back within single digits, 22-14, four minutes into the second quarter.
In almost identical fashion to the first quarter, ASU's offense stalled over the last five minutes of the half. Thanks to a stout defensive effort on the part of ASU, Utah was only able to score six points during the same span of time ASU's offense stalled and the Utes went to the locker room with a 28-14 lead.
The Sun Devils conclude their first home weekend of Pac-12 play on Sunday (12 p.m. MST) when they host No. 5 Colorado. Sunday's game is Sunday Funday: Kids 12 years and younger receive FREE admission to the game! Fans can go to the ticket booth located on either the west or east side of the arena the day of the game to claim their tickets. Post-game autographs will also be available on the court after the game.
SUN DEVIL 1,000-POINT SCORING CHART UPDATE
1. 2,361-Kym Hampton (1980-84)
19. 1,065-Betsy Boardman (2001-05)
20. 1,038-Olivia Jones (1981-83)
21. 1,033-Kim Griffee (1978-81)
22. 1,024-Kylan Loney (2001-05)
23. 1,020-Amanda Levens (2000-02)
24. 1,015-Jaddan Simmons (2020-present)
25. 1,001-Katie Hempen (2012-16)
The Utes (11-3, 1-1 Pac-12), who came into the game ranked No. 5 in the nation in points per game (91.2) and the top-ranked team in the nation in field goal percentage (53.3), were held more than 33 points below their scoring average and nearly 16 percentage points below their usual shooting percentage.
"Tough one tonight" ASU head coach Natasha Adair said after ASU's second Pac-12 game of the season. "What I talked to the team about was our competitive effort. I thought we had competitive effort and I thought we had that competitive spirit. But we also talked about moments where there were just some miscues and that was our defensive rotations.
"[Utah's Alissa] Pili's going to command a lot of attention, but you can't let the other players get off and I just thought there were plays where they got second opportunities and offensive rebounds. So when finishing the play and it was a contested shot, you cannot let them get it back. So that's what we talked about more than anything as far as the adjustments. We have to be better and holding them to one shot and not letting them get second and third opportunities."
Jalyn Brown notched her fourth 20-point game of the season with a career-high 21 points while Adison Novosel came off the bench and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers for the Sun Devils (8-6, 0-2).
"That feeling is probably the best in the world, just knowing my teammates were excited and happy" Novosel said of the consecutive 3-pointers she hit in the third quarter, the second of which capped a 16-2 scoring run that got ASU within eight points. "But that feeling if we can bottle it up, I know they got my back at the end of the day and I love them all so much."
Unfortunately for ASU, it was not unable to sustain the momentum that had the fans in Desert Financial Arena ready to cheer on what would have been an even bigger comeback than the school record 20-point come-from-behind win ASU had in the same venue against the same opponent in 2019.
Brown's 3-pointer was the only field goal ASU was able to score the remainder of the quarter and the Utes took a 17-point advantage into the final period.
The Utes built their lead back up to 21 during a final quarter in which the two teams scored eight points apiece.
Neither team led by more than three points early on. After splitting the game's first 14 points, the game's first pivotal sequence came after Utah's Alissa Pili hit a pair of free throws with 5:19 remaining to give the Utes a 9-7 lead. Pili's free throws represented the first of 11 straight points the Utes scored to close out the quarter and give them an 18-7 lead going into the second frame. Brown scored four points to lead ASU.
The Sun Devils started the second quarter with renewed intensity hitting three of their first five shots. The last of those three shots – a 3-pointer by Novosel – got the Sun Devils back within single digits, 22-14, four minutes into the second quarter.
In almost identical fashion to the first quarter, ASU's offense stalled over the last five minutes of the half. Thanks to a stout defensive effort on the part of ASU, Utah was only able to score six points during the same span of time ASU's offense stalled and the Utes went to the locker room with a 28-14 lead.
The Sun Devils conclude their first home weekend of Pac-12 play on Sunday (12 p.m. MST) when they host No. 5 Colorado. Sunday's game is Sunday Funday: Kids 12 years and younger receive FREE admission to the game! Fans can go to the ticket booth located on either the west or east side of the arena the day of the game to claim their tickets. Post-game autographs will also be available on the court after the game.
SUN DEVIL 1,000-POINT SCORING CHART UPDATE
1. 2,361-Kym Hampton (1980-84)
19. 1,065-Betsy Boardman (2001-05)
20. 1,038-Olivia Jones (1981-83)
21. 1,033-Kim Griffee (1978-81)
22. 1,024-Kylan Loney (2001-05)
23. 1,020-Amanda Levens (2000-02)
24. 1,015-Jaddan Simmons (2020-present)
25. 1,001-Katie Hempen (2012-16)