Arizona State women’s basketball (8-18, 2-12 Big 12) suffered its largest margin of defeat of the season in Saturday afternoon’s 98-62 dismantling by Utah (20-5, 11-3 Big 12).
The Utes made a season-high total in three-pointers, shooting 18-32 from the three-point line. Utah’s leading scorer, junior guard Gianna Kneepkens, proved to be decisive again for the visitors, netting 24 points and tallying 12 rebounds.
“Our goal was to make sure we run them off the 3-point line,” Adair said. “We wanted to make them take tough two-pointers.”
The teams entered the game trending in different directions. ASU had endured a 10-game losing streak prior to Saturday, while Utah looked to extend its winning streak to seven games.
The Sun Devils never had the lead, as Natasha Adair’s side shot 34.4% from the court throughout the game.
Utah graduate forward Mayè Tourè nearly matched her scoring average of 12.9 points per game in the first quarter. She tallied seven in the opening five minutes. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils endured a near five-minute scoring drought until junior guard Jalyn Brown ended the run deep in the quarter.
Both teams struggled to find momentum midway through the second quarter. With five minutes from halftime, ASU went on an 8-0 run to make it a three-possession game after the Utes went scoreless for three minutes. After going scoreless in the first quarter, graduate guard Tyi Skinner came alive late in the half, scoring 11 points in the last five minutes as ASU went into halftime trailing 49-34.
“We had more opportunities to switch, to be in spaces and gaps, and take contested shots,” Adair said on ASU’s second half scoring spree. “But we need to be consistent there. We need to sustain it and that’s what this group is still working on.”
“Players are stepping up in moments, but you have to play through some things when you’ve never played this long or with this group,” she said.
Utah’s three-point barrage continued after halftime. It shot 55.6% from the three-point line midway in the third quarter. Senior guard Kennady McQueen overtook her season-high point tally after drilling eight points after the break. By the start of the fourth quarter, Utah pulled away with a 27-point lead.
“We will get better on the defensive end,” Adair said. “It’s something we talk about every day. It’s something we will continue to form and create our identity with.”
ASU continued to struggle offensively during the final ten minutes. The Sun Devils converted 23.8% of field goals in the fourth quarter: their lowest out of any quarter during the game. The Utes continued to outscore the hosts and ended the game with a 36-point lead.
Only four games remain in the Big 12 for ASU, which next faces TCU on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. MST. Despite an 11th straight loss, Adair’s side looks forward to the Big 12 tournament as an opportunity to turn the page and start fresh.
“We talk about [the Big 12] as a season and then the conference tournament as another,” Adair said. “We’re not in the locker room saying we’re done. We’re going to continue to improve and continue to get better.”
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