This article was originally published on February 23, 2023.
Arizona State is winless in Pac-12 play no more.
The Sun Devils (8-18, 1-16 Pac-12) orchestrated an incredible second-half comeback over the Oregon State Beavers (11-17, 3-14 Pac-12) in a 75-73 victory.
All season long, the Sun Devils struggled with shooting inconsistencies and that was no different on Thursday night. In prior contests, Arizona State couldn’t overcome poor shooting nights.
But against Oregon State, they played some of their best basketball late to rally from behind.
In the first half, the Sun Devils shot 27% from the field and trailed 36-26 at halftime. Coming into Thursday’s game, they ranked last in the Pac-12 in field-goal percentage, shooting 36% as a team.
In the final 20 minutes, though, Arizona State shot 53.3% from the field, including 70% on three-pointers, to complete the comeback.
Junior guard Tyi Skinner had an unforgettable night for the Sun Devils, scoring 27 points and shooting 5-of-6 on 3-pointers. In the first half, Skinner scored 8 points and shot 3-of-10 from the field. In the second half, however, she scored 19 and shot 6-of-9 from the field.
This was the sixth time this season that Skinner, who is averaging the second-most points in the Pac-12, scored 25 or more points in a game.
As a team, the Sun Devils completely flipped the script in the second half. They got to the free-throw line 10 times as opposed to four in the first half. They also shot 7-of-10 from deep compared to 2-of-6 in the first 20 minutes. They outscored the Beavers by 12 points in the second half, including scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter.
The Sun Devils started the game strong, shooting 6-of-14 from the field and tying the game at 13 with 2:20 to go in the first. After that hot start, Arizona State shot 4-of-23 in the rest of the second half.
Senior center Kayla Mokwuah led the way for Arizona State in the first half. She scored eight of the team’s first 13 points and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
In the first half, Arizona State played well defensively but couldn’t capitalize on the Beavers’ mistakes. The Sun Devils forced 11 turnovers, but only scored six points off them and four fastbreak points.
Oregon State expanded its lead to open the second half, leading 47-31 with five minutes to go in the third. The Sun Devils finished off the quarter on a 14-5 run, with Skinner scoring 10 of those points.
The fourth quarter was back and forth the entire time. Junior guard Treasure Hunt opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, cutting Oregon State’s lead to two. Hunt finished with 13 points and three rebounds, with 11 of those points in the second half.
With 6:47 to go in the game, junior guard Jaddan Simmons hit a 3-pointer to give the Sun Devils a 55-53 lead. It was Arizona State’s first lead since early in the first quarter. Despite a tough shooting night, Simmons stuffed the stat sheet, putting up 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
The Sun Devils pulled away late, with huge baskets from Simmons and Hunt. They led 73-67 with seven seconds to play and although it seemed over, a 3-pointer by Oregon State quickly made it a one-possession game.
Then, after two made free throws by Skinner, the Beavers hit another three off a timeout with two seconds left, making it a two-point game.
Arizona State managed to run out the clock and head coach Natasha Adair was able to celebrate her long-awaited first Pac-12 victory of her career.
During the season, Adair mentioned the importance of continuing to get reps during practice to improve shooting. It paid off in the second half allowing the Sun Devils to come from behind and defeat the Beavers on the road for their first Pac-12 win of the season.
Arizona State will look to ride the momentum when they finish the season against the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. After that, they will head to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament beginning on March 1.
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