Arizona State’s (8-14, 2-8 Big 12) losing streak extended to seven after an 81-73 loss at No. 24 Oklahoma State (18-3, 8-2 Big 12) on Wednesday night.
Despite a second-half scoring flurry from graduate senior guard Tyi Skinner and junior guard Jalyn Brown, in which the duo combined for 30 points, the Sun Devils could not overcome the Cowgirls’ dominant opening quarter.
After back-to-back buckets by ASU to start the game, the Cowgirls outscored ASU 22-6 in the following nine minutes of the first quarter.
Oklahoma State sophomore guard Stailee Heard led the way offensively with eight points in the first quarter. Heard went on to drop a game-high 28 points while also bringing in 10 rebounds. With the impressive stat line, she notched her ninth double-double of the season.
However, following the weak first quarter, the Sun Devils refused to go away. They came out energized and applied constant pressure on the Cowgirls over the next 10 minutes.
The maroon and gold caused six turnovers in the quarter and snatched nine offensive rebounds. Although the Sun Devils failed to capitalize much off these turnovers and second-chance opportunities, the effort displayed the team’s relentless determination and fight.
Still, heading into halftime, the Cowgirls led 41-26.
Coming out of the break, the Sun Devils offense fell flat, and the Cowgirls’ shots from deep started to fall. After making just three triples in the first half, Oklahoma State knocked down eight shots from beyond the arc in the second half.
A couple of three-pointers from Skinner and Brown cut into the deficit in the third quarter, but the Cowgirls refused to let the Sun Devils mount a run to get back into the game.
In the fourth, the Sun Devils outscored the Cowgirls 25-18. But the hole they dug themselves into proved to be too steep to climb out of. Ultimately, Oklahoma State came away victorious with an 81-73 victory.
Skinner led ASU in scoring with 23 points. Meanwhile, Brown added 20 points and corralled 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
Additionally, junior forward Kennedy Basham recorded six blocks in just 20 minutes. Basham now holds 55 blocks on the year which ranks as the second most in the Big 12.
The Sun Devils return home on Saturday to take on BYU (10-10, 1-8 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. MST in their annual Black History Month game.
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