TEMPE – After turning her back, daring McNeese State to shoot the three — yielding a miss — Arizona State graduate guard Gabby Elliott soared down the court, sinking a tough contested floater and shrugging her shoulders towards the McNeese State bench, as the Sun Devils stretched their lead 16.
The Sun Devils, especially their group of guards led by seniors Last-Tear Poa, Marley Washenitz and Elliot, showcased swagger and moxie throughout the entire game.
“I feel like it is just a little bit of me,” Elliott said. “Swag is something I bring with me. I feel like everybody on the team got their little niche. I saw Poa getting chippy and Marley getting a little chippy, and I kind of like it. I was kind of feeding off them tonight.”
Arizona State and coach Molly Miller advanced to 9-0 for the first time since 1991-92, defeating the McNeese State Cowboys 57-47 Friday night. For ASU, its rebounding and strong defensive performance helped seal it secure a victory, despite not leading until the 6:32 mark in the second quarter.
“We work on it in practice every day,” junior forward McKinna Brackens said. “We have to run if we do not crash the boards or box out, so it has become important to the entire team.”
McNeese State changed its pace of play, surprising Miller and the players and forcing them to adjust. The Cowgirls managed to build a 12-10 lead after one period of play, forcing eight turnovers.
The Sun Devils and coach Miller changed up some things in the second quarter, most notably, their own pace of play.
“They played with a different pace out of the gate that we had not seen yet,” ASU coach Molly Miller said. “I am proud of our kids for adjusting, especially late in the first quarter and into the second. Consistency is sometimes a wild card, so we will win ugly and take it.”
The defensive tenacity kept them in it from the jump, even with the slow offensive start. Even though the Sun Devils only scored nine third-quarter points, shooting 3-for-12 from the field, their defense held McNeese State to seven points on 3-for-16 shooting.
The offensive struggle continued early in the fourth alongside the defense, as the once 16-point lead fell all the way down to seven with 7:31 to play.
While some would’ve faltered, Miller instilled trust in her team, not using a timeout, allowing the leadership to shine through.
It did in a big way.
Elliott made two big-time baskets within two minutes to extend the Sun Devils’ lead from five back up to 9.
Elliott finished the game 8-for-15 from the field, scoring 19 points. She’s emerged as the key go-to scoring option for Miller’s squad and has earned the trust of the staff and teammates to command a major load of the offense.
“It means everything,” Elliott said. “Without them (my teammates), I really cannot do much. Without them, I truly do not go so as long as they (have) got the confidence to give me the ball, I definitely (have) got to have the confidence in myself to shoot it.”
Brackens helped offensively and on the boards, where she collected a season high of 15 down the stretch. The forward notched her fourth double-double with the Maroon and Gold after tallying just two in 60 career games prior.
The Sun Devils will look to make history and start 10-0 for the first time in program history when they battle the University of San Francisco at Mullett Arena Saturday, Dec 6, at 2:30 p.m MST.
“We are going to watch some film,” Brackens said. “Just get rest, because it is a quick turnaround.”
Leave a Reply