Arizona State women’s basketball (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) took on Southern Methodist University (2-2, 0-0 AAC) in their first match of the Briann January Classic. The Sun Devils led for all but one minute of the final three quarters to earn an 80-73 victory at home.
Saturday’s performance was a major difference from the Sun Devils’ first three games; it was beyond the arc. Prior to tonight, the Sun Devils were shooting just 25.3% from three. Tonight, they went 11-26 (42%), which proved to be the difference maker. ASU coach Natasha Adair felt it was a mentality change.
“They’re confident,” Adair said. “I’m not surprised that they went in right, but I think it was more about the shots that they took within the offense.”
Most of those points came from the dynamic duo in the backcourt. Junior guard Jayln Brown carried her team offensively in the first quarter, scoring 11 of the team’s 14. She finished with 25 points and a team-leading 5 assists. Brown credited her teammates for her big night.
“I think that my teammates did a really good job at getting me the ball,” Brown said. “I think that they were finding me and knowing my shots, the shots that I take every day. Once I get going, the rim looks really, really wide to me.”
Her partner, graduate student guard Tyi Skinner, was as dominant as always. She led the team with 26 points, but her biggest impact was creating looks for her teammates in transition and while driving into the paint. Skinner shot 5-for-10 from three, and both she and Brown made more than half their field goals.
The game was not perfect. The score was close between ASU and SMU, mainly because of the Sun Devils’ high turnover rate. They lost the ball 23 times, nearly double last season’s average. While most of these came in the first half, their other problem occurred in the second.
SMU’s junior guard Nya Robertson scored 20 of her 25 points in the second half. She was noticeably a team leader and vocal to her team and the opposition. In the third quarter, she drilled a tough 3-pointer before turning to the ASU bench and making a gesture that earned the only technical of the game. Adair was not bothered by her performance.
“She’s a good player,” said Adair. “I mean, good players are going to find their rhythm, but she didn’t get off in the sense of, she’s a catalyst. She’s what makes them go.”
ASU was able to stop the rest of SMU’s offense from getting going. They gave up eight quick points coming out of the zone after the tip-off. Adair made adjustments, and the team started playing more aggressively. This prevented SMU’s offense from generating consistent points. Skinner said it was a team effort.
“I would say that our communication on the court, especially on defense, that definitely helped us today,” Skinner said. “But even with our rotation being short, I feel like everybody did their part, and when they came in, everybody was ready.”
Despite the win, ASU’s defense will be tested Sunday as they take on Oregon State and look to add another win to the Sun Devils 2-2 record. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. MST at Desert Financial Arena.
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