On paper, the two teams appeared to be pretty even.
But that wasn’t the case on Sunday, as the ASU women’s basketball team used stifling defense to key a 75-43 victory over UA at home.
The Wildcats (11-5, 2-3 Pac-10) were held to 19.2 percent shooting in the first half and 29.8 percent overall, and the Sun Devils (11-4, 3-2 Pac-10) made the most of another double-double from junior guard Kimberly Brandon, her fourth of the season.
The game was physical from start to finish, something ASU expected and looked forward to, Brandon said.
“It just pumped us up even more,” Brandon said. “It is a rivalry game and both teams were going to come out and fight. It was a battle every possession.”
Brandon finished the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior forward Becca Tobin also had a strong night, with 12 points and six rebounds. Tobin said the win was a good way to rebound after a tough loss to Stanford last weekend.
“We knew coming in that it was a big game — rivalry game — and we had to redeem ourselves from last week,” Tobin said. “We’ve been practicing really hard on our defense, so it showed tonight.”
The Sun Devils also set a season high for blocked shots with seven and out-rebounded UA 41-30.
The game got off to a quick start for both teams, with UA pulling ahead with a score of 5-4, their only lead of the game, 1:30 into the first half. But then problems started compounding for the Wildcats, who were missing the services of star forward Ify Ibekwe for most of the game due to illness.
Ibekwe didn’t attempt a shot all game and only pulled down two rebounds, ultimately playing just 12 minutes, which ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said was a big factor.
“Obviously they were thin at the post tonight, and I think that makes a huge difference for a transition team,” Turner Thorne said. “Great scorer, great rebounder, they missed her a lot.”
The Sun Devils’ defense picked up as the first half went on, and the game began to get more and more physical — a sign of the Wildcats’ frustration. A 12-0 run by ASU toward the end of the period gave the Sun Devils a 19-point lead going into halftime.
In the second half the UA offense began to show signs of life, but the improved Wildcat transition game opened the door for ASU on the other end of the court. A 9-0 run two minutes into the second half gave the Sun Devils a 24-point lead and ended any real threat of a UA comeback.
“We’ve had DePaul, we’ve had Oregon and these teams that love to live off their transition, and we work really hard on transition defense and do a good job,” Turner Thorne said.
Even when the lead opened up to 31 points with eight minutes left in the second half, the Sun Devils wouldn’t let up on defense, forcing tough shots, turnovers and a shot clock violation.
The lead would peak for ASU with two minutes left, when the Sun Devils held a 35-point advantage.
After the game, Turner Thorne said the rout was unexpected, especially with some of the close games the teams have played in the past.
“I was surprised, because they’re a very good team,” Turner Thorne said. “At the same time, I knew if we did what we were supposed to do, I thought we could have a really good game.”
The Sun Devils return to action on Thursday with a home game against Washington State.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
