Defense was the focus this weekend for the ASU women’s basketball team, and while it stayed solid for three halves, the Sun Devils couldn’t sustain the pressure, dropping a tough game to No. 14 Florida State on Saturday after a win over Providence on Friday at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said she definitely saw improvements from her team despite the split weekend.
“Obviously we wanted to win the championship, and it was a heart-wrenching loss to be winning the entire game [against FSU] up to the last three minutes and let it slip away from us,” Thorne said. “But I think [Saturday] was the best basketball we’ve played this year.”
Redshirt sophomore forward Janae Fulcher added that the Sun Devils (3-2) have grown since last Sunday’s game against Tennessee.
“We learned how to play well with each other, and we learned from our mistakes, boxed out, and did everything that we need to do,” Fulcher said. “We just fell short a little bit. But it’s still the beginning of the season, still a huge learning experience.”
ASU didn’t make too many mistakes on Friday, grabbing an early lead against Providence (3-3) and never letting go, limiting the Friars to just 35.3 percent shooting from the floor in a 63-56 win.
Redshirt senior guard Dymond Simon and senior forward Becca Tobin led the Sun Devils with 11 points each, with Tobin grabbing eight rebounds and Simon adding five. ASU’s 11-4 advantage in free throw shooting would prove to be key, although the Sun Devils also led in points in the paint and points off turnovers.
The stifling defense the Sun Devils had been looking for was on full display in the first half against FSU, as ASU held the Seminoles to just 20 shot attempts to take a 26-23 lead at halftime.
The lead could have been larger, but ASU shot just 29 percent in the first period, something Turner Thorne said needs to be addressed.
“I think we’re not necessarily getting the shots we want on offense, and we’ve got to figure that out,” Turner Thorne said.
ASU would hold the lead until the 3:15 mark in the second half, and FSU would finally pull away in the last two minutes, with the Sun Devils missing their last six shot attempts to end the game, a 65-55 Seminoles victory.
The loss boiled down to ASU letting up on defense, Fulcher said.
“We basically let them do what they wanted to do,” Fulcher said. “Instead of taking things away, we let them play to their strengths.”
Junior guard Alex Earl, who finished with six points and two assists, agreed.
“I think we felt that we had it in the bag a little bit,” Earl said. “I think we just kind of let down. They went on a run, and we kind of put our heads down for a [second], and when you get behind, you don’t have time to put your head down.”
FSU junior forward Cierra Bravard and freshman forward Natasha Howard each had 21 points to keep the Seminoles’ perfect start to the season intact. FSU also led the Sun Devils in rebounding, 39-28.
Fulcher led ASU with 13 points and three rebounds and Simon added 12 points and four assists. The Sun Devils also finished with a 26-16 advantage in points off turnovers, an area that had been cause for concern the first three games, Turner Thorne said.
“I’m not super happy with our rebounding right now,” Turner Thorne said. “But taking care of the ball was tremendous.”
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
