Barring a disastrous performance, the Arizona State Sun Devils’ second game against the Arizona Wildcats this season was going to be better than the first.
The previous Territorial Cup matchup, played on Dec. 17, 2023, at Desert Financial Arena, resulted in a 91-52 home loss for the Maroon and Gold.
While the Sun Devils have changed since the blowout, the result did not. Because of a big fourth quarter from the hosts, the squad from Tempe lost 63-52 at McKale Center in Tucson on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, the Wildcats swept their in-state rivals for the second consecutive season.
“Not the outcome, but it wasn’t for lack of fight,” Arizona State head coach Natasha Adair said. “I saw our team fight today.”
The Sun Devils brought the fight early in the game, causing the hosts into four turnovers before the first media timeout. Their defensive prowess helped them stay in the game.
Both teams scored their points off runs in the second quarter. Arizona opened with a 7-0 run. Then, Arizona State responded with a 9-2 run to pull the deficit to one point. The squad from Tucson extended its lead to seven by blocking its opponents down low and stealing the ball to create in-transition moments.
In opening two minutes out of the break, the Wildcats pushed their lead to 11, but the Sun Devils dominated the middle part of the third quarter. Adair’s side went on a 16-5 run. This was finished by an in-transition layup from sophomore forward Journey Thompson that tied the game at 41.
Nonetheless, the 8,210 in attendance continued cheering for the home side. It crescendoed until the final buzzer, which signaled the end of a 22-11 run from the Wildcats. While the Sun Devils played clean in the third quarter, the final 10 minutes were marred with turnovers, fouls and violations.
“That active transition activates them,” Adair said about the fourth quarter. “And so, we just have to do a better job at knocking down those shots, getting second and third opportunities on one shot, but some of the looks were great looks. I live with 99% of the shots that we took. They just didn’t fall.”
Overall, the Wildcats bested the Sun Devils in all shooting categories. They shot 46% from the field, while their opponents went 36%. The hosts also made 33% of their three-point attempts compared to the visitors’ 28% and went 9/17 from the line compared to Arizona State’s 7/19.
The missed free throws from Adair’s side became evident in the third quarter when they could have taken the lead. Despite the same amount of converted free throws, the Sun Devils had seven more attempts.
Arizona also won the points in the paints battle 42-28 from a stellar outing by fifth-year forward Esmery Martinez. She posted 18 points and 15 rebounds, notching her fourth double-double of the season. The Dominican’s attack on the rack started early, logging eight of the Wildcats’ 14 first quarter points.
The Wildcats also won the points off turnover battle 21-15, led by fifth-year guard Helena Pueyo. She had 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks. The Spaniard was the first to defensively greet the Sun Devils, kickstarting the fast break by taking it herself or finding her teammates.
Freshman forward Breya Cunningham and junior guard Courtney Blakely also registered double-digit point totals. Cunningham had 11, while Blakely had 10.
On the other side, sophomore guard Trayanna Crisp led the way with 15 points. She capped off the performance with her only triple, with around one second remaining in the game.
“They were definitely bigger than us, but I still feel like our team fought,” Crisp said. “I feel like we stayed with our schemes. [We] just tried to work as hard as we could down there.”
The other Sun Devil to reach double digits was sophomore guard Jalyn Brown. Her 12 points signified a below-average day for the Louisville transfer, who averages 17.2 points per game.
Both Crisp and Brown played all 40 minutes, along with senior guard Jaddan Simmons.
The Sun Devils (10-12, 2-8 Pac-12) continue their road trip next weekend as they head to the City of Angels for the final time in conference play. They will face No. 15 USC (16-4, 6-4 Pac-12) on Friday at 8 p.m. Then, they will take on No. 7 UCLA (17-3, 6-3 Pac-12) Sunday at 1 p.m.
Despite their opponents’ rigor increasing, Adair believes her side can takeaway some moments from their final Pac-12 Territorial Cup matchup to apply next weekend.
“This is the best conference in the country,” she said. “Every night, you’re facing opponents that can defend. I bet on our guards…We’re gonna work on releases. We’re gonna work on other options. But again, we make our free throws, we limit some of their points in the paint, it’s a different game.”
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