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WBB pushes No. 15 Baylor to the limit in 67-64 loss

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WBB pushes No. 15 Baylor to the limit in 67-64 lossWBB pushes No. 15 Baylor to the limit in 67-64 loss
Sun Devil Athletics

WACO, Texas – The Sun Devil women’s basketball team went toe to toe with the No. 15 team in the nation on its home floor on Saturday. In the end, the Sun Devils came up just short of defeating a ranked team for the first time since 2022 in a 67-64 loss to Baylor.

Sun Devil standouts

  • Coming off a game in which she scored all 17 of her points in the second half in ASU’s 74-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Gabby Elliott once again had a tremendous performance over the final 20 minutes, scoring 15 of her game-high 25 points in the second half. Elliott also tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
  • McKinna Brackens scored nine points and tied Elliott for the team lead with six boards.
  • For the second straight game, the Sun Devils (19-6, 6-6 Big 12) received a remarkable performance from their bench as Jyah LoVett (season-high 16 points, two assists, two steals) and Martina Fantini (six points, four rebounds) combined for 22 points.
  • Fantini entered the game having scored eight points in Big 12 play this year, but had six in just under 15 minutes.
  • LoVett entered the game averaging 6.9 points but posted her season-high 16 points in just over 23 minutes. It was her most minutes since the Gonzaga game (Dec. 16).
  • Marley Washenitz and Amaya Williams also contributed to ASU’s performance on the glass with five rebounds each.

How it happened

  • For the eighth time in conference play, the Sun Devils attempted 20 or more free throws. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils were not as accurate as the 77.8 percent mark they had in conference play coming into the game, shooting 62 percent (13-21) for the game.
  • Baylor (21-4, 10-2), currently occupying the top spot in the Big 12, scored more than a third of its points from the free throw line where it made 81 percent (25-31) of its attempts, including 90 percent in the second half (18-20).
  • Baylor outscored ASU 15-9 in the first quarter, a lead that was cut two points after Elliott opened the second quarter with a pair of jumpers.
  • Both teams had periods in the first half in which they missed six straight shots. Fantini, who scored eight points in ASU’S 11 conference games coming into the day, came off the bench and provided ASU with an immediate boost, scoring six straight points (3-3 FGs). Jumpers made by Brackens and LoVett made it five makes for ASU in its final nine attempts of the first half the Sun Devils went to the locker room trailing by only three, 29-26.
  • The first points of the second half, scored on a jumper by Last-Tear Poa, got ASU within one, 29-28.
  • The Bears responded with a 12-4 run to take their biggest lead, 41-32, with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
  • Later in the quarter, a jumper by LoVett ignited a flurry of eight straight points for the Sun Devils to give them the lead 44-43.
  • With the scored tied at 47-47, Baylor scored six of the final seven points in the third quarter and the Bears took a 53-48 lead into the final frame.
  • A 3-pointer by Elliott coupled with a layup by Brackens tied the score at 58-58 with just under six minutes left.
  • The bad news for ASU is it endured a frustrating stretch in which it missed six straight shots. The good news was the next time it scored – a steal and layup by Deborah Davenport with 2:16 left – it was only down two points 62-60.
  • After an exchange of possessions, the Sun Devils closed within one, 63-62, after LoVett’s jumper.
  • Ultimately, the Sun Devils had a chance to send the game to overtime but were not able to attempt a 3-pointer that could have tied the game.
  • Like the Sun Devils, the Bears also endured a difficult stretch of shooting as ASU allowed Baylor to make only one of its last eight attempts from the floor.

Up next

The Sun Devils are back at home on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. MST) to take on Utah. Tickets can be purchased at www.TheSunDevils.com.