TUCSON, Ariz. — Down 61-59 with under seven seconds to play, Arizona State women’s basketball coach Molly Miller motioned to a nearby official to call a timeout, gathering her team in hopes of conjuring up some late magic at McKale.
In the dying embers of Saturday’s afternoon contest between ASU and in-state rival Arizona, she turned to junior forward McKinna Brackens, who rose from the right elbow, elevating over two Wildcat defenders to sink a game-tying basket.
As the ball hit the floor, a wave of silence enveloped the Tucson crowd of 8,776 fans.
Brackens’ heroics sent the game into overtime and re-ignited the Sun Devils (21-6, 8-6 Big 12), who rallied late to secure a 75-69 victory over Arizona (11-14, 2-12 Big 12) at the McKale Center on Saturday.
Arizona State made the trip to Tucson looking to complete a sweep of the Wildcats for the first time since 2018.
“It means it is our state,” Brackens said about the significance of the win.
Buckets with a big one to send it overtime 😈🙌 @McKinnaBrackens pic.twitter.com/FE1VaBJQAy
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) February 14, 2026
With 5:35 to play in the fourth quarter, ASU led 57-51, taking Arizona’s fans out of the game and controlling the game’s tempo. But Sparky’s fourth-quarter lead quickly evaporated to the extent that when Miller looked up at the scoreboard with under a minute to play, her team was down by two possessions.
Still, down four with 37 seconds to play, the Sun Devils refused to quit. After surrendering the lead in what looked to be another fourth-quarter collapse, Miller’s go-to options stepped up yet again.
Combining for 46 of the Sun Devils’ 75 points, Brackens and fifth-year guard Gabby Elliott took control, easing the Sun Devils into overtime, where they combined for 12 of the Sun Devils 14 overtime points.
“I feel like the whole game was so fast-paced,” Brackens said. “I (was like) it is OK, stay calm. We can still win this. … I know that my teammates believe in me, the coaches believe in me, so if they give me the ball back, I need to go do something with it.”
Brackens ended the day with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Elliott, who exited the game in the first and headed to the locker room, returned in the second quarter and shot 4-for-8 from three and generated 22 points.
“She is as tough as they come, and you would not even know it,” Miller said. “She is locked in, and when she gets into the game, she is hurting; you would never know that, and she is just a tough kid, and that trickles down to the whole team.”
ASU came into Saturday afternoon’s matchup hampered, missing starting point guard, fifth-year guard Last-Tear Poa. Its depth took another hit after junior guard Jyah LoVett and senior guard Marley Washenitz both fouled out with over two minutes to play in the fourth.
The 61 points allowed by the Sun Devils through four quarters marked the 19th time they have held opponents to 65 points or less. Down three rotational players and two usual starters, ASU showcased its heart and resiliency near the end of the fourth and throughout overtime.
“We can do anything,” Miller said. “Look at the odds that were stacked against us. The adversity comes when your starting point guard is out, then you have two players foul out, the crowd is not in your favor, Gabby (Elliott) goes down with an injury … It was one of those games you had to gut out. I hope it gives our team a lot of confidence.”
Free-throw shooting hurt the Sun Devils, as it has in games prior. In two of ASU’s six losses, it has shot under 70% from the line, and, in another game, it didn’t generate a single trip to the line. The trend continued against U of A, as the Maroon and Gold went 13-for-20 from the charity stripe, a 65% clip.
The rebound discrepancy between halves was duly noted by Miller. The Sun Devils accumulated just 10 rebounds in the entire first half, collecting zero on the offensive end.
In the second half, the Sun Devils outrebounded the Wildcats 22-to-10 and collected seven offensive rebounds, winning the battle on the boards 40-to-32.
“There was a philosophy change,” Miller said. “As they (Arizona) started to leak out, there were opportunities for offensive rebounds. … We are a team that no matter what is thrown our way, we are going to tough it out and have passion, effort and energy every possession.”
The Sun Devils look to claim their 22nd win of the season on Wednesday, February 18, at 5:30 p.m. MST when they tip off against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Hilton Coliseum.
“I know we won on the scoreboard, but women’s basketball won today,” Miller said. “It is great when you can draw eyes to your sport through a rivalry. That is a win-win. I am really proud of our girls for facing the environment and coming out on top.”
Leave a Reply