The ASU women’s basketball game against UCLA was a tale of two teams’ different shooting nights.
UCLA (7-8, 2-2 Pac-12) could not miss the basket. They finished the night shooting 48 percent from the field and outscored the Sun Devils 64-48.
On the other side of the court, it was a different story. The Sun Devils (10-4, 1-2 Pac-12) could not sink a shot during the game. Their final shooting percentage was 33.3 percent.
Coach Joseph Anders said despite the weak performance, he believes in the team’s scoring abilities.
“The one thing I will not do is lose confidence in my club,” Anders said. “I believe in my players. I know that they’re good shooters. I know that they’re going to hit shots.”
In the beginning of the game, the ASU offense was rolling. Senior forward Kali Bennett made four baskets in the first five minutes of the game to help put the Sun Devils up 12-10.
The rest of the ASU club struggled to find the basket. Bennett was the only consistent source of offense throughout the game. The senior finished with a team high of 15 points.
The only Sun Devil with over six points in the game was senior forward Kimberly Brandon, finishing with eight.
ASU has been struggling from outside lately. UCLA took advantage of ASU’s weakness by introducing a zone defense to force the Sun Devils to shoot from the perimeter.
ASU junior guard Deja Mann believes the team needs to be more aggressive to beat the zone.
“We get stagnant at times,” Mann said. “Not shooting well obviously contributes to that. If you can’t hit the outside shot, of course they are going to play a zone.”
In the first half, UCLA freshman guard Moriah Faulk fell to the floor and injured her leg. The rest of the Bruins team raised its intensity during her absence.
Sophomore forward/guard Rhema Gardner had 16 points and junior forward/guard Markel Walker had 16 points for the Bruins.
It was a breakout performance by sophomore guard Thea Lemberger. She had 22 points, making three three-point shots.
UCLA was knocking down shots even when an ASU defender could get a hand up and deny the shot. Bennett said the team needs to play better defense throughout the entire possession.
“Defense starts before the shot,” Bennett said. “It takes a denial, a steal, ball pressure, all of that before the shot goes up. So we put pressure on them before the shot, the shot is going to be harder when they catch it.”
After the game, Anders said his team has entered a new stage in its season: conference competition. He said a team needs to have more energy to compete in the Pac-12.
“Our conference season has begun,” Anders said. “There is a greater urgency to play and play with more passion every possession.”
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
