Junior guard Arnecia Hawkins attempts a layup in a game against Middle Tennessee, Friday. Nov. 14, 2014 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Blue Raiders 81-67. (Photo by Ben Moffat)
In a battle of two talented tournament teams from last season, ASU prevailed over Middle Tennessee State 81-67.
What began as a back and forth affair quickly turned into a night of domination for the Sun Devils (1-0) thanks in part to the sharp-shooting performance of junior guard Katie Hempen, who poured in 14 points and dished out 4 assists to go with 5 rebounds.
“I’ve put in a lot of work with my teammates,” Hempen said. “They work extremely hard, just like me, to get me the ball.”
6-foot-1 sophomore forward Sophie Brunner was also a force down low for the Sun Devils, achieving a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.Junior guards Elisha Davis and Arnecia Hawkins combined for 22 points and 6 assists.
Balanced scoring is not so much a focus for the Sun Devils, but rather a product of just how balanced the team is at every position.
“We’re a team that moves the ball and we make that extra pass,” Hempen said. “everybody wants to see everyone succeed.”
Senior guard Promise Amukamara drives to the basket in a game against Middle Tennessee, Friday. Nov. 14, 2014 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Blue Raiders 81-67. (Photo by Ben Moffat)
Coach Charli Turner Thorne was pleased with the all-around performance against a team with a history of NCAA tournament appearances.
“I think we will be that (balanced) team this year,” she said. “that’s what we’ve been seeing in practice.”
However, what seemed to be a focus for ASU was their defensive effort, something coach Thorne takes great pride in.
The word balance holds a lot of importance for this Sun Devil team, whether it be scoring from the players or teaching from the coaches. In a tough PAC-12 conference, balance will be crucial for ASU if they hope to hang around with the likes of Stanford and Cal.
For the Blue Raiders, Olivia Jones led the way with a tremendous performance, scoring 19 points accompanied by 9 rebounds. Unfortunately, with 5:35 left in the game Jones went down with a serious injury and was helped off the court by the training staff.
Video by Stefan Modrich | Assistant Sports Editor
A stellar performance was cut short by what may prove to be a serious blow to this Blue Raiders team, who face the Miami Hurricanes in their next game. Jones’s team could not match her intensity in this game, however. Excluding Jones, the Blue Raiders shot 31.9 percent from the field. Another stickler for MTSU was turnovers, of which they committed 17.
Junior guard Arnecia Hawkins drives to the basket in a game against Middle Tennessee, Friday. Nov. 14, 2014 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils defeated the Blue Raiders 81-67. (Photo by Ben Moffat)
What was a herculean effort by the Sun Devils on defense began to fall apart in the second half. Coach Thorne, as well as her players, said she hopes to see an improvement on defense in their next game, despite the offense putting up an impressive 81 points. At times the Sun Devils will be outmatched in size this season, but they surely weren't be outmatched in effort against Middle Tennessee, pulling down 20 offensive boards on the night.
ASU next hosts CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday, Nov. 19th at Wells Fargo Arena.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @RClarkeASU
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