ASU inches closer to school history after defeating Southeast Missouri State

TEMPE — In the second matchup of the Thanksgiving multi-team event (MTE), Arizona State women’s basketball took down Southeast Missouri State 85–58.

The Sun Devils’ win improved Miller’s squad to 8–0, placing them one game shy of tying the 1991–92 team’s record for most victories to start a season.

A major part of the Sun Devils’ success was their rigorous full-court press defense, which contributed to that huge turnover margin.

“I’m very proud of the way we played,” ASU coach Molly Miller said. “It all starts with our defense. I mean, we scored 27 points off the 26 turnovers with over 60 points in the paint. That kind of sums up the story of the game right there.”

They forced a few Redhawks turnovers early on, stifling the SEMO offense. Junior combo guard Deborah Davenport is leading the way for the Sun Devils in the steals department with four total.

However, it wasn’t just Davenport who contributed, as graduate guard Gabby Elliot and fifth-year guard Last-Tear Poa both snagged two steals of their own. It foreshadowed the theme of the game, with turnover becoming an issue for the Redhawks, who finished the night with 26 giveaways.

In addition to keeping SEMO off balance offensively, ASU continued its onslaught by dominating in the rebound department, collecting 46 total boards — 12 more than SEMO, which only brought in 24.

After the Sun Devils took a 30-point lead, the Redhawks started moving the ball more and generated a rhythm offensively. Still, the deficit was too great for them to come back from. 

The Maroon and Gold’s offense has been a major beneficiary of its strong defensive effort. Hustle plays like forcing turnovers, drawing offensive fouls and creating fastbreaks, have allowed ASU to create momentum swings and apply pressure on opposing teams.

“You never want to leave a thinking that we were out hustled,” Miller said. “So we always want to be the team that works harder, and if the shots might not fall, things might not go your way, you always play hard.”

In Miller’s first year, ASU’s hot start in the conference positions it nicely a month before Big 12 play begins, as the Sun Devils look to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.

ASU now prepares to take on McNeese State next Friday, Dec. 5th at 6:30 p.m. MST.