Tempe – In-state battle, colleagues to opponents and another Arizona State runaway victory. Momentum swings can only carry you so far. ASU found momentum in the second half and buried its opponent.
This rings true for the coaches on both sidelines, who arguably know each other better than anyone else. On Thursday, however, it was ASU coach Molly Miller who won the battle as her side defeated NAU 79-52 at Desert Financial Arena.
Tonight’s matchup was only the third time in history that the Sun Devils and the Lumberjacks have hit the hardwood together. Although NAU is winless in all three games, head coach Laura Dinkins knows Miller’s tendencies better than anyone else.
Miller and Dinkins go back to their time together as head and assistant coaches of Grand Canyon University. Posting a 56-11 record, Western Athletic Conference Champions, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
But it was their blitzing defense that stood out amongst the competition. Posting the top defensive rating and total points allowed in the entire conference in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
Miller and Dinkins’ departure from GCU kept them both in the state of Arizona, and Miller couldn’t have been prouder of her former assistant.
“It is a true feather in a coach’s hat when you see one of your assistants continue to be a head coach in their own right,” Miller said.
With a warm embrace from each other post-game, these are two class act coaches who are swinging the momentum in their respective programs.
“Dink is amazing,” Miller said with a smile. “Outside these 40 minutes, I’m cheering for her and wishing nothing but the best for her and (Bryan) Camacho.”
ASU’s home opener early this week against Jackson State saw the offense sputter and the defense lapse in the first half, going down 11-2 at one point. Yet, ASU would win by 40+ points and dominate the second half.
There was no question of whether that would carry over from one game to the next. Transfer senior guards Ruby Whitehorn and Rashunda Jones scored 20 of the team’s 25 points in just a ten-minute frame.
Whitehorn was the leading charge of that second-half offensive surge. After a sluggish first game of the season where she shot just 3/9 from the field, on 8 points and 6 assists. Whitehorn found her shot all night long.
“She’s really a threat from multiple different areas. She can hurt you on rebound putbacks, posting up, her dribble penetration; she’s buying into the defense. Rudy is really kind of the all-around player, and I thought she showcased that nicely tonight,” coming from Miller.
Whitehorn’s 25-point and 10-rebound double-double is her first time recording that stat line since March 3rd, 2024, dating back to her 18-point, 14-rebound double-double against Florida St. when she played at Clemson.
Coming from Michigan State and awarded Big Ten All-Defensive honors in 2026, Jones — also nicknamed ‘Spider’ — received high praise from teammates regarding her passing abilities tonight.
“Her communication is spot on; we can trust her,” said junior guard Madison Morson. “I trust her with the ball. Trust her to get it to me or any of the shooters. She is just a great distributor.”
The second quarter came and hit ASU in the stomach; Miller called it a “gut check” for her girls on the court. Northern Arizona clawed their way out of a 15-point deficit with the long-ball play falling and sloppy defensive play from the Maroon and Gold.
“That second quarter showed our hand a little bit in terms of how we got comfortable,” Miller said. “The defense was the most frustrating thing for me. We don’t want to give up 20 points.”
Miller’s bread and butter as a coach is her well-coached defense and intensity. In the early parts of the season, her squad is looking to play her brand of basketball for all four quarters.
Her brand of basketball became clear and evident to begin the third. After leading by eight heading into halftime, the Maroon and Gold dominated defensively and offensively, capping off a 17-6 swing halfway through the third quarter. A pair of threes and 66.7% shooting from the team in the third, extending the Sun Devil lead out to 62-40.
Arizona State’s defensive tenacity proved pesky all night long. In Thursday’s performance, it forced 13 NAU turnovers, blocked five shots, stayed pesky in the passing lanes, and played with the fire and effort that Miller visibly loved from the sidelines.
Although the Sun Devils closed out the night’s game in a convincing 79-52 home victory, the team will have to stay firing on all cylinders and carry this home momentum onto the road next week.
Arizona State travels to Nevada next Tuesday, November 10th, to play UNLV at the Cox Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. MST
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