ASU WBB: ASU Slips Past Florida to Win ASU Classic
Off a 71-42 win against Boston University, Arizona State women’s basketball won the final game of the ASU Classic versus the University of Florida, 69-63.
Early in the game, the Sun Devils struggled to retain possession of the ball but after three minutes of play, they managed to pull themselves together to ultimately gain the lead 16-12 by the end of the first quarter.
It was apparent from the beginning that this was going to be a fairly physical game. Coach Charli Turner Thorne commented, “we took the punches, [and] punched back.”
By the end of the first quarter both teams had scored 10 points just in the paint, and at the end ASU had scored 34 and Florida had scored 36.
At halftime, the teams were tied 30-30 and Arizona State had taken twice as many shots as Florida but were only able to sink one more than the Gators.
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The third quarter proved to be a struggle for the Devils as they shot only 13.3 percent and the Gators ended the quarter on a 7-0 run in two minutes and 10 seconds of play, putting them up 51-39.
However, in an exciting fourth quarter, Arizona State came back strong by closing the gap to five in just three minutes and then taking the lead with 2:54 left in the game. Arizona State managed to significantly improve their shooting from 13.3 percent in the third to 92.9 percent in the fourth.
The game stayed close throughout but ultimately ASU’s ability to capitalize off rebounds and Florida’s 25 turnovers secured them the win. 29 of the Devil’s points came off of those turnovers. Turner Thorne also called their 18 offensive rebounds “absolutely critical,” and mentioned that it was something the team had been working on all week.
She also had high praises for freshman Reili Richardson calling today’s game a break-out day. Her praises went past her stats to her toughness and skills as a decision maker. “She just put it all together,” Turner Thorne said, “She’s poised.”
The seniors, who seem to have been struggling this season, played well today. Sophie Brunner led the team with 14 points while Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos had 13 and 11, respectively. The three were also key when it came to rebounds as Brunner led with 10 and Dornstauder and Moos both got eight.
ASU women’s basketball has a tough two-game road trip coming up. If the team builds off the momentum of this win and the seniors can keep playing well they should be able to compete with Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. Their next game is December 11 at 11:00 a.m. in Kentucky.