TUCSON, Ariz. – Given it was short-handed because of injuries. Given it was on the road in a hostile environment – the kind of atmosphere reserved only for rivalry games – the Sun Devil women's basketball team was not supposed to be in a tie game with Arizona one minute into the fourth quarter.
Before the game, the scenario seemed difficult to imagine. Not because the Sun Devils were not capable of winning the game. Despite their record, they have proven time and again they can play with any team when they are firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately for the banged-up Sun Devils they came into the game missing usual starters Jazion Jackson and Kennedy Fauntleroy and a third player, key reserve Makayla Moore who was not expected to play.
And yet, after Jyah LoVett's 3-pointer – ASU's third triple in less than a minute of game time – the Sun Devils found themselves in a tie game, 44-44, in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
In the end, ASU's gallant effort was not enough. Due in large part to a 9-0 run that started after LoVett tied the game, the Wildcats were able to come away with a 66-59 win on Saturday.
Tyi Skinner (19 points/10 in the second half), Jalyn Brown (18 points/12 in the second half), and LoVett (10 points/eight in the second half) carried much of the scoring load while helping keep ASU in contention to win the game as the trio scored 30 of ASU's 35 points in the second half.
Kennedy Basham led ASU's rebounding effort as she notched her fourth double-digit outing with 10 rebounds to go with six points and two blocks. The Sun Devils (8-16, 2-10 Big 12) also received solid production on the glass from LoVett and Moore, who had six rebounds each. LoVett came within a rebound of tying her career-high of seven which she had earlier this season against Penn (Dec. 30).
The Wildcats (15-10, 6-6) were helped by advantages in points off turnovers (19-6) and scoring six more points than ASU at the free throw line (15-9).
After making just one of their first nine 3-pointers over, the Sun Devils were able to recalibrate and made seven of their last nine attempts (78 percent) from long range.
What nullified ASU's tremendous performance from downtown over the last quarter-plus of the game was its inability to make shots inside the arc where they were successful on only one of their last 12 attempts.
ASU proved it was determined to battle and push through any obstacles after Arizona took what was at the time its largest lead of the game, 28-17 with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. The Sun Devils responded by scoring the next seven points to trim Arizona's lead to 28-24 at the half.
Trailing by seven a little more than three minutes into the third quarter, ASU fought to get within one possession after a layup by Basham was followed by a 3-point play by Brown to make it a two-point game, 33-31.
After the Wildcats answered by scoring eight of the game's next 10 points to go up 41-33, the Sun Devils put together what ultimately would be their best offensive sequence of the game. Two free throws by Skinner and triples from Skinner and Brown in the last 48 seconds of the third quarter suddenly pulled ASU to within three, 44-41.
Lovett's 3-pointer that knotted the score 44-44 early in the fourth quarter capped an 11-3 run in the space of only 78 seconds.
Unfortunately for ASU, its best offensive performance of the game was followed by its most unproductive stretch. Nearly five minutes elapsed before the Sun Devils scored again. Over the same window of time Arizona was able to score nine points to put ASU in a 53-44 hole with under five minutes left in the game.
When LoVett's second 3-pointer of the game reduced the deficit to six, Arizona used a modest 7-2 run to once again take a double-digit lead, 60-49.
Even after the Wildcats took their biggest lead, 62-50 with 1:19 remaining, the Sun Devils were determined to fight until the final buzzer.
A 3-pointer by Skinner got ASU within two possessions, 64-59. But alas, the all-important element of time was not in ASU's favor and it was not able to get any closer in the game's final 15 seconds.
The Sun Devils play the second of consecutive road games when they travel to Florida to face UCF on Wednesday (5 p.m. MST).
Before the game, the scenario seemed difficult to imagine. Not because the Sun Devils were not capable of winning the game. Despite their record, they have proven time and again they can play with any team when they are firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately for the banged-up Sun Devils they came into the game missing usual starters Jazion Jackson and Kennedy Fauntleroy and a third player, key reserve Makayla Moore who was not expected to play.
And yet, after Jyah LoVett's 3-pointer – ASU's third triple in less than a minute of game time – the Sun Devils found themselves in a tie game, 44-44, in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
In the end, ASU's gallant effort was not enough. Due in large part to a 9-0 run that started after LoVett tied the game, the Wildcats were able to come away with a 66-59 win on Saturday.
Tyi Skinner (19 points/10 in the second half), Jalyn Brown (18 points/12 in the second half), and LoVett (10 points/eight in the second half) carried much of the scoring load while helping keep ASU in contention to win the game as the trio scored 30 of ASU's 35 points in the second half.
Kennedy Basham led ASU's rebounding effort as she notched her fourth double-digit outing with 10 rebounds to go with six points and two blocks. The Sun Devils (8-16, 2-10 Big 12) also received solid production on the glass from LoVett and Moore, who had six rebounds each. LoVett came within a rebound of tying her career-high of seven which she had earlier this season against Penn (Dec. 30).
The Wildcats (15-10, 6-6) were helped by advantages in points off turnovers (19-6) and scoring six more points than ASU at the free throw line (15-9).
After making just one of their first nine 3-pointers over, the Sun Devils were able to recalibrate and made seven of their last nine attempts (78 percent) from long range.
What nullified ASU's tremendous performance from downtown over the last quarter-plus of the game was its inability to make shots inside the arc where they were successful on only one of their last 12 attempts.
ASU proved it was determined to battle and push through any obstacles after Arizona took what was at the time its largest lead of the game, 28-17 with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. The Sun Devils responded by scoring the next seven points to trim Arizona's lead to 28-24 at the half.
Trailing by seven a little more than three minutes into the third quarter, ASU fought to get within one possession after a layup by Basham was followed by a 3-point play by Brown to make it a two-point game, 33-31.
After the Wildcats answered by scoring eight of the game's next 10 points to go up 41-33, the Sun Devils put together what ultimately would be their best offensive sequence of the game. Two free throws by Skinner and triples from Skinner and Brown in the last 48 seconds of the third quarter suddenly pulled ASU to within three, 44-41.
Lovett's 3-pointer that knotted the score 44-44 early in the fourth quarter capped an 11-3 run in the space of only 78 seconds.
Unfortunately for ASU, its best offensive performance of the game was followed by its most unproductive stretch. Nearly five minutes elapsed before the Sun Devils scored again. Over the same window of time Arizona was able to score nine points to put ASU in a 53-44 hole with under five minutes left in the game.
When LoVett's second 3-pointer of the game reduced the deficit to six, Arizona used a modest 7-2 run to once again take a double-digit lead, 60-49.
Even after the Wildcats took their biggest lead, 62-50 with 1:19 remaining, the Sun Devils were determined to fight until the final buzzer.
A 3-pointer by Skinner got ASU within two possessions, 64-59. But alas, the all-important element of time was not in ASU's favor and it was not able to get any closer in the game's final 15 seconds.
The Sun Devils play the second of consecutive road games when they travel to Florida to face UCF on Wednesday (5 p.m. MST).