Arizona State rebounded from a tough loss to Stanford with a thrilling 76-71 win over Cal on Sunday afternoon at home.
ASU attacked the basket early on, emphasizing driving and finishing through contact near the rim.
“Our guards can turn the corner on anyone in this league and get downhill,” ASU head coach Natasha Adair said. “It was definitely one of our focal points for today.”
Sophomore guard Trayanna Crisp was especially efficient, as she scored eight points to lead ASU in scoring through the first quarter.
The Sun Devil’s aggression opened the floor offensively, leading to three-point opportunities. ASU shot an astounding 83% from the three-point line in the first half to give them a sizeable lead at half of 43-31.
Additionally, ASU maintained aggressive play on the defensive end with heavy pressure on the Golden Bears. The Sun Devils suffocating defense forced 13 turnovers in the first half alone and disrupted the Cal offense from getting into any rhythm.
In the second half, the Bears started to fight back, forcing some Sun Devil turnovers and picking up their offensive production.
Graduate student guards Leila McIntosh, an Arizona native, and Ioanna Krimili led the second-half charge for the Bears.
The two drilled some long three-pointers and set up their teammates to lead a furious Cal run down the stretch.
Their efforts would cut the ASU lead to just single digits as the Sun Devils clung to a 64-57 advantage.
The teams traded blows in the fourth with both teams playing scrappy defense and producing timely offensive play.
With time winding down, it seemed like the Golden Bears had stolen momentum and would complete a double-digit comeback in the second half.
However, down the stretch, the Sun Devils clamped down on the defensive end and came up with a huge stop, forcing a crucial turnover with just under 30 seconds left to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
ASU relied on their guards to carry the load offensively in the clutch and help ASU pull away. Sophomore guard Jalyn Brown and senior guard Jaddan Simmons combined to score all 12 points in the fourth for the Sun Devils. The backcourt duo finished with a combined 36 points and knocked down some clutch free throws to secure the 76-71 victory.
“I understand when we need a bucket,” said Brown. “So I wasn’t gonna let Cal come back. That’s just me doing my job for this team.”
Adair also had high praise for her point guard who took on the tough defensive assignment of guarding the Bears dynamic guard McIntosh.
“She welcomes those assignments and she didn’t waiver,” said Adair. “Tough assignment for her, and I shouted her out in the locker room to let her know how proud I was of her.”
ASU now improves to an overall record of 10-11 and picks up their first conference win at home. Meanwhile, Cal drops its second game in a row, falling to 13-8 and moving to 3-6 in conference play. The Sun Devils will try to build on this home win in their next game on the road against rival Arizona on Feb. 4. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. MST in Tucson.
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