KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The stage was set at T-Mobile Arena: A third matchup between in-state rivals, No. 10 seed Arizona State and No. 15 seed Arizona, in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament, with both teams’ seasons on the line.
In another highly competitive contest between the rivals, the Sun Devils stayed alive, advancing to the second round after downing the Wildcats 54-51.
“We have been prepared for this moment,” ASU coach Molly Miller said. “That’s why I am excited for this team and the momentum of the group.”
In Miller’s first season, she’s embraced the rivalry against U of A and fellow first-year coach, Arizona’s Becky Burke. ASU took the prior two meetings, the first game on Jan 28 (68-61) and the second game on Feb 14. (75-69 OT).
Even though the Wildcats fell short, they put up another tough fight.
“I would have loved to be on the end of more wins this year,” Burke said. “I am looking forward to the future to build off of times like this.”
The first half of the game didn’t deviate from the mean of the prior two games, entailing a constant back-and-forth between the teams. U of A held a solid lead early into the game, but ASU quickly regained control. After struggling to add points to the board, ASU finished the half up 29-28.
With both teams featuring aggressive playstyles, it showed in the statsheet, as they combined for nine fouls in the first half.
Senior guard Marley Washenitz scored eight points in the first half. Sophomore forward Heloisa Carrera matched her with eight points of her own.
“It was kinda weird but cool to be the first year to play on that type of court,” Washenitz said. “It didn’t hurt my knees as bad as when I would fall.”
Neither team could break away in a nail-biting second half that kept fans on the edge of their seats. In the third quarter, there were multiple stoppages due to foul calls, with both Miller and Burke displaying clear frustration with the officiating.
The physicality continued early in the fourth quarter, as Carrera took a shot to the face, giving her a severe bloody nose. The injury was not an ideal start for the Sun Devils, who looked to lean on their star forward to close the game. Carrera was able to return to the contest with 5:39 left, with gauze in her nose.
Later, Arizona fifth-year forward Nora Francois was ejected from the game because of the gruesome foul.
Despite constant lead changes, game-changing fouls and missed free throws, the Sun Devils showed their grit and resilience late to hold on against Arizona and advance to the next round of the tournament.
The victory adds to Miller’s historic season with the Sun Devils. This being Miller’s first year with the program, she already inked herself in the record books by leading ASU to its best start in program history (15-0). Additionally, she has the most wins by a first-year coach in school history. Not only has this been Miller’s first season with ASU, but this is also her first year at the Power 5 level, coaching in an elite conference like the Big 12.
Up next, ASU will return to T-Mobile Arena to take on No. 7 seed Iowa State at 4:30 MST in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
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