No. 18 ASU women’s basketball (15-4, 5-2 Pac-12) overcame a double digit deficit to defeat Washington State (9-9, 2-4) 65-56 on Sunday afternoon, winning its fifth game in a row.
The Sun Devils got off to a slow start on the road, falling behind the Cougars by as many as 10 points in the third quarter. But they were ultimately able to rally to gain a lead early in the fourth quarter.
Leading 57-56 with just over three minutes left in the contest, ASU held WSU scoreless the rest of the way, finishing the game on an 8-0 run.
Senior forward Ja’Tavia Tapley and senior guard Robbi Ryan carried the majority of the load offensively for the Sun Devils, both scoring 20 points each.
Tapley, Ryan and senior guard Reili Richardson played a pivotal role in the comeback, each making crucial plays down the stretch of the game.
ASU's defense in the fourth quarter sparked the comeback as they held WSU to just 23% shooting in the period.
The Sun Devils out-rebounded the Cougars 44-36 for the game, including a 20-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
The win on Sunday was the 499th career win for ASU head coach Charlie Turner Thorne in her 27-year career as a head coach. Turner Thorne began her coaching career in the 1992-1993 season at Northern Arizona University, came to ASU for the 1996-1997 season and has become the winningest coach in ASU women’s basketball history.
Turner Thorne will have a chance to gain win No. 500, when ASU faces No. 21 Arizona next in Tucson on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at ltochter@asu.edu and follow @Leo_Toch on Twitter.
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