TEMPE — Backed by a parade of boos from the home crowd, an impassioned Arizona State coach, Molly Miller, could be found screaming on the sidelines, letting the referees know of her disapproval of their officiating. The moment, late in the first half, lit a fire under the Sun Devils and helped them achieve history.
Arizona State defeated the University of San Francisco 67-44 at Mullett Arena Saturday evening to reach a program-record 10-0 start — the most wins for a Sun Devil women’s basketball team to start a season in school history. For Miller, the first-year ASU coach, and her squad, it served as a chance to prove something to the critics.
“It means a lot,” Brackens said about being a part of history. “We wanted to prove something for everybody because it is a new team.”
On the back of Miller’s outburst, ASU ended the half strong.
In the final three minutes of the half, the Sun Devils defense forced multiple turnovers and defensive stops as the Dons only managed to muster three shots in the final three minutes. Meanwhile, an ASU offense that had been dormant awakened. Junior guard Jyah LoVett made three shots, one from the mid-range, one from three and one contested layup, to help ASU take a 9-3 run into halftime.
“It motivated us more,” junior forward McKinna Brackens said on Miller’s interaction with the refs. “We are playing against the refs, and them (USF), and then Jyah came out with a spark, and I was super happy for her.”
“I love that we all have each other’s backs,” Miller said. “If anything is going to motivate them, I am all for it, whether it is the officials, the defense, it is motivation.”
Three-point shooting, along with their defense and overall offensive play, was much improved throughout the second quarter. After starting 0-for-4 from three in the first, the Sun Devils went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second and shot 7-for-12 from the field.
The Sun Devils outrebounded the Dons, both offensively and defensively, and scored more bench points, second chance points, points in the paint and points off turnovers.
The second-quarter resurgance was a welcoming sight for ASU after an up-and-down first quarter.
“I think we just settled in,” Brackens said about the second quarter. “We knew the history behind this game coming in, and we wanted to win so bad. I feel like after that, we kind of just settled in. I feel like we just needed to lean on each other and know it is going to work out.”
The Maroon and Gold saw an uptick in defensive effort to start the second half. The Sun Devils held USF to 24 points and 39.1% from the field in the final 20 minutes. ASU’s defense forced 16 turnovers, limited shots at the line and outrebounded the Dons in the second half 14-12.
“Do not let up,” Brackens said about Miller’s halftime message. “She (Miller) wrote on the board not to let up. We had a pretty good second quarter, and we wanted to carry that into the third.”
The Sun Devils had multiple key contributors in all aspects of the game. Junior guard/forward Deborah Davenport made big contributions on the defensive end, bringing a tenacity that proved crucial to ASU’s stifling defense.
“She has found her niche,” Miller said in regard to Davenport. “She is playing hard, rebounding, doing the dirty work and that is our brand.”
It was a team effort defensively however, senior guard Gabby Elliott also stood out, collecting eight steals and one block.
On the other end, Brackens shot 6-for-8 from the field, accumulating 15 points. Meanwhile, senior guard Marley Washenitz tallied a team-high six assists in the victory, serving as a playmaker for Miller’s offense. LoVett also provided a steady scoring presence, shooting 7-for-9 from the field, tallying 15 points.
The Arizona State Sun Devils will go to State College and see Penn State Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. MST at the Bryce Jordan Center.
“That is really going to test us going into conference play,” Miller said. “So, we need to refocus.”
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