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Late-game defense helps WBB secure win over Arizona

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Late-game defense helps WBB secure win over ArizonaLate-game defense helps WBB secure win over Arizona
Sun Devil Athletics

Sun Devil head women's basketball coach Molly Miller celebrates with fans following ASU's 68-61 win.

TEMPE – The Sun Devil Women’s Basketball team (18-4, 5-4 Big 12) played its best when it mattered most on both ends of the floor to knock off in-state rival Arizona 68-61 on Wednesday in front of 6,121 fans at Desert Financial Arena.

In a back-and-forth contest in which both teams displayed flashes of offensive brilliance, it was defense that mattered in the end. After McKinna Brackens swished a pair of free throws to give ASU a 54-53 lead, the Sun Devils did not allow Arizona (10-10, 1-8) to go ahead or tie the score over the last seven minutes of the game. In fact, ASU scored the game’s last six points while holding Arizona scoreless over the last 2:13 of the game.

Sun Devil standouts

  • Gabby Elliott led all players with 22 points, her seventh game of the season with 20 or more points and her 10th straight game scoring in double figures. Elliott also had seven rebounds and two steals.
  • Brackens collected her seventh double-double of the season (13 points, 10 rebounds) to go with three assists and two steals. In the fourth quarter, Brackens scored nearly half her points and pulled down more than half her rebounds.
  • Heloisa Carrera tallied her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Marley Washenitz scored 11 points and led ASU with three steals.
  • Jyah LoVett led all bench players (from both teams) with six points.

How it happened

  • ASU was plus-six on the boards (35-29), plus-nine (14-5) in second-chance points and plus-eight in points off turnovers.
  • Although it turned the ball over 16 times, ASU only had two miscues in the fourth quarter.
  • Arizona became the 12th team to turn the ball over 20 or more times vs. ASU.
  • ASU made 91 % (19-21) of its free throws, including a 12-for-12 effort in the fourth quarter.
  • Offense ruled the first half of the first quarter as ASU had a 10-8 lead five minutes into the game.
  • Defense would have the say over the last five minutes as the two teams combined for 11 points (ASU 6-5) to give ASU a 16-13 lead.
  • One of the biggest differences that stood out early was how each team scored its points. The Sun Devils made half their shots (7-14) and both free throws, while the Wildcats had to manufacture more of their points from the foul line (5-6) after shooting only 27 percent in the first quarter (3-11 FGs).
  • Elliott led ASU with six points in the first quarter while LoVett and Carrera had four points each.
  • Arizona shot the ball at a much higher clip in the second quarter (50 percent/7-14 FGs).
  • After Arizona’s Kamryn Kitchen made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 18-18, ASU responded with an 8-0 run to take a 26-18 lead after a layup by LoVett, who was the fourth different player to contribute to the scoring run. Washenitz started it with a layup, Last-Tear Poa hit a triple, and Deborah Davenport scored on a free throw.
  • ASU took its largest lead of the half after Brackens hit ASU’s second 3-pointer of the quarter to put ASU up 31-22. 
  • It was a number of subtle differences (ASU made one more shot than Arizona, 7-6; ASU made one more 3-pointer, 2-1; and one more free throw, 1-0) that allowed ASU to outscore Arizona 17-13 in the second quarter and take a 33-26 lead at the half.
  • The opening quarter of the second half could best be described as a tale of two eighths. Arizona came out and scored the first 13 points, and 17 of the first 19, to take a 43-35 lead.
  • ASU made sure the game would not get any further away from it as it outscored the Wildcats 15-6 to capture the lead, 50-49, going to the final quarter.
  • Like ASU’s 8-0 run in the second quarter, its 9-4 burst that propelled it into the lead came from different contributors: a pair of free throws made by Elliott, a jumper from Carrera, a make from downtown by Washenitz and two free throws hit by Brackens.
  • Carrera (six points), Washenitz (five points) and Elliott (four points) were responsible for 15 of ASU’s 17 points in the quarter.
  • Elliott scored eight of her 12 second-half points in the fourth quarter and came up with a critical steal with ASU up 64-61 and 43 seconds remaining. Elliott made two free throws on the opposite end to make it a two-possession game and put the finishing touches on the victory.

Up next
The Sun Devils play the second of three consecutive home games on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when they host Kansas State at Desert Financial Arena. Tickets for the game can be purchased at www.TheSunDevils.com.