TUCSON, Ariz. – For the first time since 2018, the Sun Devil women’s basketball team completed a regular season sweep of its in-state rival following a gutsy, 75-69 overtime win on Saturday.
Appropriately enough, the Sun Devils (21-6, 8-6 Big 12) showed tremendous heart on Valentine’s Day, as they had to rally from a four-point deficit in the final 40 seconds to send the game to overtime and then in the extra session outscored the Wildcats 14-8 while missing three key performers – one who missed the entire game due to injury and two others who fouled out in regulation.
For the second time in 17 days all the truisms that apply to rivalry games were once again at play on Saturday. In the initial go-round played on January 28 in Tempe, the Sun Devils were able to turn a one-point lead with under two minutes remaining into a 68-61 win. The theatre put on by the two teams was every bit as riveting on Saturday.
Most Sun Devil Wins
31-5: 2006-07 (NCAA Elite Eight)/Charli Turner Thorne
29-6: 2014-15 (NCAA Sweet 16)/Charli Turner Thorne
26-7: 2015-16 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
26-9: 2008-09 (NCAA Elite Eight)/Charli Turner Thorne
25-7: 2005-06 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
25-9: 2001-02 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
25-7: 1981-82 (NCAA Sweet 16)/Juliene Simpson
24-10: 2004-05 (NCAA Sweet 16)/Charli Turner Thorne
23-10: 2013-14 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
23-7: 1982-83 (NCAA Sweet 16)
22-11: 2018-19 (NCAA Sweet 16)/Charli Turner Thorne
22-13: 2017-18 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
22-11: 2007-08 (NCAA Second Round)/Charli Turner Thorne
21-6: 2025-26 (TBD)/Molly Miller
21-11: 1980-81 (NWIT Runner-up/Juliene Simpson)
Sun Devil standouts
- McKinna Brackens paced ASU in scoring, pouring in 24 points with 19 coming in the second half (10 points) and overtime (nine points). Brackens’ brilliance was responsible for sending the game into overtime, hitting a jumper from just inside the free throw line with 3.3 seconds remaining. Brackens also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
- Gabby Elliott, who had to play through pain after leaving due to injury early in the game (returned early in the second quarter) continued be a splendid scorer, notching her team-leading ninth 20-point game of the season (22 points) with 12 of those points coming in the second half (10) and overtime (two), the fourth straight game she has scored in double figures after halftime (averaging 14.3 ppg during that stretch). Elliott, who nearly had to leave the game again after getting hit in the head at the end of regulation, accounted for half (4-8 3FGs) of ASU’s eight 3 pointers and, after missing her first three free throws, showed tremendous composure in making a pair of critical singles to cut Arizona’s lead to two with 37 seconds remaining.
- Heloisa Carrera had her third double-double (10 points, career-high 11 rebounds). She had as many offensive boards (five) as Arizona had as a team. It was Carrera’s second double-double against Arizona after a 12-point, 10-rebound performance in the first meeting on Jan. 28.
- Jyah LoVett, who started her first game of the season in place of Last-Tear Poa (injured), scored nine points, had a game high-tying six assists (one short of tying her career high) and four rebounds.
- Deborah Davenport provided the Sun Devils with five points and seven rebounds coming off the bench.
How it happened
- The game had nine ties and nine lead changes.
- After making seven 3-pointers in its win over Utah on Wednesday, ASU hit eight more triples on Saturday, its second-highest total of the season.
- ASU was plus-eight on the boards (40-32). All seven of ASU’s offensive rebounds came in the second half.
- Although the Sun Devils had three more free throw attempts (13-20) than Arizona, it was the Wildcats (16-17) who were able to score three more points at the line.
- The Sun Devils only trailed 17-13 after Arizona made 64 percent of its shots in the first quarter.
- Elliott’s layup three minutes into the second quarter gave ASU its first lead of the game, 20-19.
- ASU led 25-21 after a 3-pointer by Brackens was eventually followed with a layup by Carrera.
- Elliott led ASU with seven points in the second quarter and ASU came back with a strong defensive performance as Arizona made only 29 percent of its shots in the second quarter. The Sun Devils outscored Arizona by the same 17-13 margin that Arizona had in the first quarter and the teams went to the half tied at 30-30, the first time this season ASU was tied after 20 minutes.
- The Sun Devils turned a four-point deficit into a four-point lead after and 8-0 run gave them a 38-34 lead after a long-range make by Elliott.
- After leading by as many as five in the third quarter, the Sun Devils took a 52-49 advantage into the final period.
- Each team had a moment in the fourth quarter when it seemed, given the pace of scoring, that one more basket would ignite the homestretch to victory. The two teams combined for only seven points in the first five minutes. A 3-pointer by Elliott gave ASU a two-possession lead, 57-51 with 5:35 remaining. The next time ASU scored (Elliott hit two of three free throws after being fouled while attempting a 3-pointer) it trailed 61-59 with 37 seconds remaining. Elliott’s free throws ended the 10-0 run used by Arizona to reclaim the lead.
- The Sun Devils came away with a critical defensive stop after Arizona spent nearly the entire shot clock, leaving ASU with six seconds after Davenport rebounded Arizona’s miss.
- The stage was set for Brackens, who sent the game to overtime after her jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining tied the game at 61-61.
- Tied at 67-67 with 2:34 remaining in the extra session, Elliott’s make from downtown started an 8-0 run for the Sun Devils as the Wildcats didn't score their final two points of the game until they made a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining.
Notes
- Head coach Molly Miller set the record for most wins by a first-year Sun Devil women’s basketball coach after ASU captured win No. 21 of the season.
- Last-Tear Poa did not play due to injury.
- Elliott left the game due to injury early in the first quarter and returned early in the second quarter.
- ASU’s 21 wins represents its highest victory total since the 2018-19 squad (22-11) that went on to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
- ASU’s win at Arizona on Saturday was its first over the Wildcats in Tucson since Feb. 18, 2018. During that same 2017-18 season ASU captured its last sweep over the Wildcats, this one of the plus-one variety, knocking off Arizona 75-50 in Tempe (Feb. 16) and 69-45 in Tucson (Feb. 18). It added a third win, a 76-47 victory in the annual Pac-12 Tournament (Mar. 1).
- Earlier this week the Sun Devils swept the regular season series over Utah for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
- ASU’s seven road wins represents its highest win total in such games since the 2018-19 team went 7-4.
- ASU is now 6-2 this season (4-2 on the road) in games decided by five points or less/OT.
- In its two overtime games this season – W, 55-53 at Oregon State, W, 75-69 at Arizona – the Sun Devils have limited the opposition to a combined shooting percentage of 23.5 (4-17 FGs).
- Elliott scored a double-digit total in the second half for the fourth straight game. Combined with the 12 points she scored over the last 25 minutes of the game, Elliott has averaged 14.3 points in the second half of the last four games.
- Elliott (19.9 points) and Brackens (15.8 points) have combined to average 35.7 points in ASU's road games.
Up next
The Sun Devils will play the second of consecutive road games on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. CST/5:30 p.m. MST) when they play at Iowa State. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on 1440 AM KAZG.