The official athletics site of Arizona State University Opens in a new window
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Sun Devil Athletics
HomeHome
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Loading

Dominant defensive effort propels WBB past Eastern Washington

Game Book Opens in a new window Updated Stats
Dominant defensive effort propels WBB past Eastern WashingtonDominant defensive effort propels WBB past Eastern Washington

TEMPE – A 26-8 scoring run that commenced in the final minute of the first half and concluded in the first minute of the final quarter helped Sun Devil women’s basketball knock off Eastern Washington 73-58 on Saturday. The Sun Devils (2-0) took control of the game with dominating defense at the start of both halves. In the first and third quarters combined, ASU outscored the Eagles (1-1) 37-17 while allowing them to make only 21 percent (6-29) of their shots.

Top performers

  • Four Sun Devils scored in double figures, led by Gabby Elliott, who scored 15 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for career scoring. Elliott also had five rebounds and three assists.
  • After leading ASU with 17 points vs. Coppin State, Marley Washenitz came back with 14 points (10 in the final quarter), a team-high seven rebounds and a team high-tying three steals.
  • Jyah LoVett scored 13 of the team’s 21 bench points (5-7 FGs) to go with two steals.
  • In the first start of her college career, Amaya Williams made half her field goals (4-8 FGs) and scored 10 points.
  • McKinna Brackens had seven points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists.
  • Deborah Davenport had a team-high three offensive rebounds (six total).

How it happened

  • Both teams found it difficult to score in the game’s early minutes. Heloisa Carrera’s layup in the first minute represented the only field goal scored by either team in the game’s first 4:35.
  • The Sun Devils’ outstanding defensive effort that propelled their comeback in the fourth quarter in Monday’s season opening win over Coppin State, proved to be the difference in the opening quarter on Saturday. ASU forced the Eagles into missing their first nine shots of the game and allowed them to shoot only 22 percent for the quarter.
  • Five different Sun Devils scored accounted for ASU’s five field goals in the first quarter to help the Sun Devils take a 15-9 lead after 10 minutes.
  • Gabby Elliott’s layup less than a minute into the second quarter not only provided ASU with its first points of the frame, it also pushed her passed 1,000 career points. Elliott went on to score six points in the quarter and led ASU with eight points at the half.
  • ASU led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter but the Eagles were able to pull within five points in the final minute. LoVett scores ASU’s last three points in 40 seconds to put the Sun Devils up 32-24 at the half, the last time the Eagles would be within single digits.
  • Combined with Elliott scoring the first five points of the third quarter, the Sun Devils went up 37-24 just over a minute into the second half.
  • ASU led by as many as 26 points twice, the second time after consecutive layups by Brackens and Elliott put the finishing touches on a 26-8 lead to give ASU a 58-32 lead less than a minute into the final frame.

With ASU’s win, Molly Miller has now...

  • Won 299 career games.
  • Won her last 32 non-NCAA Tournament games going back to last season.
  • Won her last 25 home games going back to the 2023-24 season.

Up next

The Sun Devils will be on the road for their next two games – at San Diego (Thurs., Nov. 13) and at Santa Clara (Sun., Nov. 16). They will be back at Desert Financial Arena on Sat., Nov. 22 when they face UNLV, the first of six consecutive games ASU will play at home.

Postgame quotes
Head Coach Molly Miller
Opening Statement... “We want a big margin every quarter. My goal is to hold the other team to single digit quarters, and that's hard to do. And we got two of them. We held them to nine points in the first and eight points in the third. We were more consistent offensively each quarter, so that consistency is good to see. We're going to shoot a lot of free throws in the coming practices because we left some points on the board there.”

... on biggest difference between today’s game and Monday’s: “We're a little bit more settled, I would say. But also, we focused on some things on practice, and we always want that carryover in order for us to take the steps necessary. We're so far from where we're gonna be and where we're going. We have a lot of work to do. But what was great in this moment too, is when you have a fallen soldier, one went out, [Last-Tear] Poa, you got a freshman stepping up and scoring double digits in her first collegiate start. So, the worst thing that can happen, I tell these kids, is not that your number is not called immediately or when you think it should be called, it's when it is called, you're not ready. And so kudos to Jyah [LoVett] and Amaya [Williams] for being ready in Poa’s absence.”

... on the team’s routine before its first road game of the season: “Every routine kind of changes. Today we had a shootaround at nine in the morning, so the girls had to get up a little earlier and do that. Now we're going to go on the road and we're going to have an early shootaround or a late shootaround or film in the hotel rooms and not sleep in our own beds. It’s getting used to a new routine, going up to NAU was helpful so we could practice a road routine and what that looked like in terms of shootaround, meals, and study hall. You have to do all the things that you would do here because they are still students on the road, so that'll be our first crack at it. We appreciate all our ops and staff. We've got an itinerary that's about as detailed as they come.”

Guard Gabby Elliott
... on scoring 1000 point during the game: “Honestly, it feels great. It's been a long time coming. If you know any of my background, I've been around a couple schools, a couple injuries. I feel like getting that really just beat the odds, make sure I got the game ball. We got a dub. I'm feeling real good, not gonna lie. Not a lot of people make it to 1000, especially with my story. So all glory to God and shout out to my teammates today for sure.”

... on appreciation to be playing at ASU: “It feels amazing. Coming off an injury, you don't really know what's going to happen, let alone two. It just means a lot. I came a long way, and I know that all the people that have been around me, even like DB [Assistant Coach Daniel Barber], he saw me at Clemson, Penn State, to here. It's been amazing. It's been a journey for sure, and I am not taking it for granted at all. I am trying to bring something to Tempe and leave you guys with something better than what I came with for sure. I'm ready.

Guard Jyah LoVett  
... on leading the team as a returning Sun Devil: “I think it's just taking pride in being a Sun Devil and trying to teach all the newcomers what it is to be a Sun Devil here. And just following the footsteps of where Coach Molly wants this program to go. And just being on board with her and supporting her in every way I can.”

... on what she’s learned from Coach Molly Miller so far: “Anything you're going to do, just go hard. If you make a mistake, as long as you're going hard, she won't be mad at you. And I think also just being a good teammate. I feel like that goes a really long way and just being here for each other and celebrating each other for sure.”