Arizona State (8-10, 2-4 Big 12) and Kansas (12-5, 2-4 Big 12) entered Thursday night each on two-game losing streaks, with the squads hoping to get back on track in Big 12 play.
Ultimately, the Jayhawks proved to be dominant in defending their home court, running away with a 75-52 victory. Kansas scored the first 11 points and held a lead the rest of the game.
ASU could not overcome offensive inefficiency, while Kansas had a hot hand inside the paint. The Sun Devils turned the ball over 20 times, twice as much as the Jayhawks. Their minus-10 turnover differential resembled a stark difference from their season average, which hovered around zero.
When they did manage to get shots up, they failed to convert. ASU shot a mere 33.3% from the field. It especially struggled in the first quarter, making only 25% of its shots to create an impossible deficit.
A crucial part of Kansas’ success has been its defense. The team has held opponents to 60 points or less in eight of their 12 wins.
It remained no different Thursday evening, as Kansas defenders pressured ASU’s lead scorer, graduate guard Tyi Skinner, to take difficult shots that did not fall. She converted on just six of her 17 attempts from the field in her 40 minutes on the floor.
Skinner did not receive much help, as her paint players, graduate center Nevaeh Parkinson and junior forward Kennedy Basham, combined for just eight points.
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks turned in a much more successful offensive output on the other end. They dominated the paint and shot 54% inside of the three-point line.
Kansas junior guard Elle Evans led all scorers with 22 points on the night. She accounted for 10 points in the fourth quarter alone to put the game on ice.
One positive for ASU was their success at the free throw line. Coming into the game ranking first in the Big 12 in free throw percentage, the Sun Devils outshot the Jayhawks at the charity stripe: ASU made 72.7% of their attempts while Kansas made just 57.9%.
Similarly, ASU outshot Kansas from three, shooting 40% from deep, which was slightly higher than its opponent’s 36.4%. Both Skinner and sophomore guard Jyah LoVett made difficult deep shots throughout the game.
ASU will need a more complete effort when they head on the road to take on No. 11 Kansas State (18-1, 6-0 Big 12) on Sunday, January 19, at noon MST.
Leave a Reply