Arizona State smothered the Oregon State attack, causing 19 turnovers en route to a 79-60 victory over the Sun Devils former Pac-12 foe Sunday at Desert Financial Arena.
“When people talk about ASU women’s basketball, we want people to talk about defense,” said coach Natasha Adair.
The Sun Devils’ defense has been the focal point so far this season, and it showed in the Briann January Classic. The Sun Devils totaled 12 blocks and 18 steals over the weekend.
“If you think about her (Briann January) and how she played, it was her defensive intensity and it was her defensive effort, and what a way to win both games on the defensive end,” Adair said.
The Sun Devils applied pressure early, causing eight turnovers in the first quarter.
Offensively, graduate student guard Tyi Skinner led the way with 11 points and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field. With this, Arizona State ended the quarter on an 11-0 run and led 21-14 after one.
In the second quarter, the Sun Devils continued to be active on defense, causing four more turnovers and holding the Beavers to 12 points. The Beavers scored just three field goals and shot 18.75% in the second quarter.
The Sun Devils sophomore guard Jyah LoVett gave the Sun Devils an offensive spark early in the quarter with two ankle-breaking pull-up jumpers.
.@Jyah_LoVett10 IS COOKING TODAY 😈
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) November 17, 2024
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LoVett scored six points in the quarter, and the Sun Devils carried a 42-26 lead into the half.
Oregon State’s senior guard Catarina Ferreira came out in the third quarter aggressively attacking the cup, ripping off a quick four points. After that, the Sun Devils defense settled in. The unit was anchored by junior forward Kennedy Basham’s three third-quarter blocks.
Basham also scored six points and brought in six rebounds in the third.
GO TO WORK @kennedybasham 😈
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) November 17, 2024
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In the final quarter, junior guard Jalyn Brown led the offensive with eight points while knocking down two threes. This earned Brown her third double-digit scoring performance on the season.
The Beavers ended the game on a valiant 8-0 run, but it was to no avail. The Sun Devils won 79-60, earning them their third victory in the season. The Sun Devils improve to 5-2 while the Beavers drop to 1-3.
The three other Sun Devils finished with double-digit points, including a 21-point performance from Skinner. Coming off last year’s season-ending knee injury, Skinner is averaging 21.6 points per game and is shooting nearly 54% from the field.
The other two Sun Devils in double figures were graduate student guard Jazion Jackson and Basham. Jackson recorded her first double-double with the Sun Devils, while Basham tallied her second.
“It wasn’t one person, but it was everybody,” said Jackson.
Basham also blocked a game-high six shots and recorded two steals. She now averages 3.2 blocks per game, the ninth most in the nation.
The Sun Devils’ defense was relentless all night, holding the Beavers to just 31.7% field-goal shooting. This kind of defensive prowess is the kind of culture that Adair is trying to build at Arizona State and carry this season.
“Sustainable effort,” said Adair. “I want to create this identity for our team.”
A consistent, relentless defensive effort, combined with the Sun Devils’ strong depth, can lead to Adair’s successful second season.
Looking ahead, the Sun Devils will have a week to rest and prepare before taking on No. 15 Kentucky at the Coast2Coast Music City Classic in Nashville, Tennessee, Nov. 26 and South Dakota on Nov. 27. Adair and the Sun Devils will take this time to recover from their busy early-season schedule and prepare for what’s to come.
“I think the biggest thing is rest and recover,” said Adair.
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