Despite a flurry late in the fourth quarter, No. 19 ASU women's basketball (12-5, 3-3 Pac-12) couldn’t complete a comeback in Eugene, losing 77-71 to No. 5 Oregon (16-1, 5-0 Pac-12) on Friday night.
ASU gained confidence quickly as redshirt senior Courtney Ekmark knocked down a three-pointer just 15 seconds in the game, and the Sun Devils started with a 16-10 advantage after junior guard Robbi Ryan made a three-pointer.
After that, though, Oregon started to employ dominance with junior guard Sabrina Ionescu, senior guard Matie Cazorla and junior forward Ruthy Hebard. The Ducks took a slight lead in the second quarter, and, then, the Ducks increased the lead to double digits.
Oregon nearly pulled the game out of reach with a double-digit throughout the game until midway into the fourth quarter as ASU started to mount a comeback, thanks to senior forward Kianna Ibis and freshman guard Taya Hanson. After Ibis, who finished with a team-high 22 points made a baseline jumper, Hanson and Ibis made back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 65-63 with 4:28 left.
After that, the Sun Devils and the Ducks traded big-time baskets.
Ionescu made a midrange shot. Then, Hanson, who finished with six points off the bench, made another three-pointer, but Ionescu answered with another midrange shot. Ibis would answer with a baby hook shot in the lane.
However, after another Oregon basket, ASU hoped the Ducks, which have the second-best free-throw percentage in the NCAA at just less than 80 percent, would miss from the line. Although Ekmark made a three-pointer with 18 seconds left to put ASU down only two, Ionescu, arguably the best player in the nation, sealed an Oregon win at the free-throw line.
Ionescu finished with a season-high 31 points, five rebounds and an assist.
This is the fourth loss for ASU this season against a top-10 opponent – the Sun Devils fell short against Baylor (a six-point loss), Louisville (a two-point loss) and Stanford (a seven-point loss), as well.
ASU will play against No. 10 Oregon State in Corvallis at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Reach the reporter at nahiatt@asu.edu or follow @NATE_HIATT on Twitter.
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