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Women’s Basketball upsets Iowa State, advances to Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals

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Women’s Basketball upsets Iowa State, advances to Big 12 Tournament quarterfinalsWomen’s Basketball upsets Iowa State, advances to Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals
Sun Devil Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Sun Devil women’s basketball team came through with what would have to be included among the nation’s top defensive performances this season in its 77-68 upset of Iowa State in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday.

The No. 7 seed Cyclones (22-9) came into the game with one of the nation’s most potent offenses. When the day started, the Cyclones were fourth in the nation (first in the Big 12) in assists per game (20.3), eighth (first in the Big 12) in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4), ninth (first in the Big 12) in field goal percentage (48.3) and 12th (first in the Big 12) in scoring offense (82.8 points per game).

Despite Iowa State’s impressive credentials on offense and given they were playing the same team that scored the most points of the season against them in a 90-64 loss 15 days earlier, the Sun Devils (24-9, No. 10 seed) believed not only that their defense had the ability to stop Iowa State, but also they had the ability to score enough points to reverse last month's result.

They empathically answered both questions to the affirmative on Thursday. Defensively, ASU held the Cyclones 14.2 points below their scoring average, 12.2 percentage points below their field goal percentage and cut their usual 3-point field goal percentage nearly in half (19.4 percent).

Offensively, ASU scored 75 or more points for the eighth time this season and remainined unbeaten in such games.

The performance of the night came from Gabby Elliott, who nearly recorded the third triple-double in program history after scoring 22 points, securing a team-high 10 rebounds and dishing out a career-high eight assists.

Heloisa Carrera scored 12 of her 17 points in the first quarter and missed only one field goal (5-6) and one free throw (7-8) the entire game.

Also scoring in double figures were McKinna Brackens (16 points, six rebounds) and Last-Tear Poa, who just missed out on a double-double with 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

Elliott (2-3) and Marley Washenitz (2-3), combined to make four of ASU’s six 3-point field goals. ASU used the long ball as a complimentary tool against Iowa State, ending the game by making 46.2 percent of its 3-pointers (6-13).

Other areas where the Sun Devils outperformed the Cyclones included on the boards (ASU outrebounded ISU 41-36); at the free throw line where the Sun Devils outscored the Cyclones 23-17 and made a higher percentage of their attempts : ASU (23-28/82 percent) and ISU (17-25/68 percent); points off turnovers (17-9); second chance points (14-9) and points in the paint (24-22), the same area where the Cyclones outscored ASU 44-24 in their win last month.

The Sun Devils never trailed and led the game for all but 44 seconds.

A flurry of 14 straight points in the first quarter helped ASU jump out to a 17-2 lead.

Although Iowa State got within eight, 17-8, by the end of the first quarter, it trailed the Sun Devils anywhere between eight-13 points for nearly the first eight minutes of the second quarter.

The Cyclones got as close as five twice in the last 2:02 of the half, but Elliott helped the Sun Devils go to the half with an eight-point lead after scoring ASU’s last five points of the half.

Iowa State cut ASU’s lead to six in the opening minute of the third quarter. Although the teams traded baskets early in the quarter, the Sun Devils got the better of it as Elliott scored eight straight points for ASU, including consecutive 3-pointers.

Triples made by Brackens and Washenitz helped the Sun Devils go up 47-35.

The Sun Devils led by no fewer than eight points the remainder of the quarter. Elliott capped off her 13-point third quarter with a 3-point play that propelled the Sun Devils to a 60-46 lead entering the final quarter.

A 3-pointer by Washenitz gave ASU its biggest lead of the game, 65-49, early in the fourth quarter.

Although the Sun Devils scored only five points off of made field goals in the fourth quarter, a steady diet of made free throws (12-16) helped the Sun Devils prevent ISU from creating the kind late-game drama the Cyclones needed to get their crowd into the game.

The Sun Devils never let Iowa State get closer than six in the fourth quarter, allowing them to put the finishing touches on the upset and confirm their reservation for a spot in Friday’s quarterfinal round.

Up next for the Sun Devils is the No. 2 seed, West Virgina, in the third of four quarterfinal matchups on Friday. Game time from T-Mobile Center is set for 5:30 p.m. CST/4:30 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KDUS AM 1060.

Postgame notes

  • ASU’s win over Iowa State represents its first win over Iowa State as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to Thursday, the Cyclones prevailed in each of the previous three meetings with ASU as Big 12 foes: Iowa State 90 @ASU 83 (1/8/25), Iowa State 96 ASU 88 (3/6/25 – Big 12 second round), @Iowa State 90, ASU 64 (2/18/26).
  • This is the first time ASU has won two games in a conference tournament since the 2017-18 squad went 2-1 at the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament. ASU defeated Arizona 76-47 in the first round and upset Oregon State 57-51 in the quarterfinals before losing to Stanford in the semifinals. That team would go on to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
  • Heloisa Carrera: In her last five games, Carrera has averaged 16.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.6 O-rebs per game and connected on 70.8 of her shots (34-48). The five-game stretch includes career highs of 23 points and 10 field goals made vs. Houston (Feb. 21). Carrera scored 12 points in the first quarter vs. Iowa State (most she has scored in a quarter this season), the fourth time she has scored in double figures in a quarter this season.
  • Gabby Elliott: Came two assists short of a triple-double after scoring 22 points, pulling down 10 boards and dishing out a career-high eight assists. It was her 10th time of the season scoring 20 or more points and her second double-double of the season. In the third quarter, Elliott scored 13 points, the fifth time this season she has had a double-digit scoring total in a quarter. Elliott’s 17 points in the fourth quarter of ASU’s 68-66 win at Gonzaga (Dec. 16) are the most by a Sun Devil in a quarter this season. Elliott has now scored in double figures 28x, led or tied for the team lead in scoring 14x and led or tied for the team lead in rebounding 8x. 
  • Last-Tear Poa: Came one rebound short of a double-double after scoring 12 points and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds.
  • Now 24-9, ASU’s current win total is its most since the 2015-16 team won 26 games and earned ita highest NCAA seed in program history (No. 2).
  • ASU’s opponent 3FG shooting last 10 games: 53-222/23.9 percent: (vs. Oklahoma St., at Baylor, vs. Utah, at Arizona, at Iowa State, vs. Houston, vs. BYU, at Texas Tech, vs Arizona, vs Iowa State).
  • Molly Miller: Including her 32-3 record last season at Grand Canyon University, Miller is now 56-12 in the last two seasons. Also including her five seasons at Grand Canyon, Miller is now 9-4 in DI conference tournaments. At GCU, Miller’s teams advanced to the championship game of the WAC tournament three times (won championship in 2025) and the semifinals twice. 
  • ASU has now scored 75 or more points eight times (including four games with more than 80 points) this season. ASU is 8-0 in those games.