After a 2-1 finish in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Shootout and a 3-2 record overall, ASU women's basketball comes in at No. 17 in the latest edition of the AP poll.
The Sun Devils dropped one spot from last week despite a narrow defeat at the hands of No. 2 South Carolina and convincing victories over host team Hawaii and CSU Bakersfield.
The loss to South Carolina on Friday was a back-and-forth affair throughout, as the Sun Devils asserted that they belong amongst the best teams in the country.
Senior forward Katie Hempen led the team in scoring against the undefeated Gamecocks, pouring in 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior guard Elisha Davis's 10 points and five assists were also key in keeping the Sun Devils competitive with a national powerhouse.
Facing a physical South Carolina team, ASU lost forwards Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos to injury in the second half. Brunner's injury was an apparent ankle sprain that will receive an MRI to determine its severity when the team gets back to Tempe, while Moos's injury is undisclosed but kept her out for the majority of the weekend.
Despite the absence of two stalwart, veteran forwards, the Sun Devils handily defeated Hawaii by a score of 75-49 and CSU Bakersfield 60-47.
Hempen and junior Quinn Dornstauder tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 apiece against Hawaii, and Dornstauder poured in game-high 14 in the victory over CSU Bakersfield.
Defense was paramount for ASU in its victory over the Roadrunners, as it held its opponent to 28 percent shooting.
The Sun Devils' next game will be on Saturday, Dec. 5, in Tempe against VCU. The game will tip off the ASU Classic tournament that also features Columbia and Toledo.
Related Links:
ASU women's basketball heads to Dallas for road tilt with SMU
ASU women's basketball notches narrow road victory over SMU
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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