The ASU women's basketball team shook off a slow start and the absence of one its captains to prevail over USC in Los Angles Thursday night, 68-57.
For the third consecutive game, the Sun Devils relied on senior forward and reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week Aubree Johnson, who scored 20 points and brought down 10 rebounds.
Johnson flew solo as her co-captain, senior forward Emily Westerberg, sat out the game because of a sprained ankle suffered during practice on Tuesday.
Westerberg, ASU's leading scorer this season, was not present at the end of Tuesday's team practice in Tempe and ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne did not disclose her whereabouts.
Westerberg is questionable for ASU's nationally televised game at UCLA on Sunday afternoon.
Others shouldering the load for the Sun Devils in the win were sophomore guard Danielle Orsillo, who had 11 points off the bench, and senior guard Jill Noe, who scored 10.
Sophomore guard Briann January also played a vital role as she single-handedly put the game out of reach for USC, who was attempting a late comeback.
January hit a pair of free throws and stole the ball from USC senior guard Shay Murphy to put the game on ice with minutes remaining.
January shot only one of seven from the field for the game, but made all eight of her free-throw attempts to total 10 points.
It was a gritty, come-from-behind win for ASU, as the Sun Devils fell behind early as a result of several Murphy steals and foul trouble by January and junior guard Reagan Pariseau.
But the Women of Troy's offense came to a near-complete stop in the final 10 minutes of the first half as ASU went on a 21-3 run at one point to climb back into the game.
The halftime score saw the Sun Devils up 33-24. A quick basket by Johnson in the opening ticks of the second half all but guaranteed ASU would lead the rest of the way.
USC was led by senior guard Jamie Hagiya, who put 15 points, while Murphy struggled, shooting three of 16 from the field for 10 points.
Reach the reporter at: christopher.d.ramirez@asu.edu.
