ASU women's basketball used a balanced scoring attack to defeat Washington 72-68 on Sunday afternoon in Tempe.
A lack of execution in the closing minutes nearly doomed the Sun Devils, but sophomore forward Iris Mbulito made two clutch free throws to put the game out of reach.
The Sun Devils (18-8, 8-6 Pac-12) led by as many as nine, but the Huskies (11-14, 3-11) cut the lead the to 70-68 with 13 seconds left, prior to Mbulito hitting the pair of free throws.
Senior guard Reili Richardson finished the afternoon with 17 points, five rebounds and six assists. Richardson's sixth and final assist was the 539th of her career, moving her past Briann January's school record.
"I passed a legend, so it's pretty awesome," Richardson said. "It was awesome when she coached me and its even more awesome that I passed her."
January, now an 11-year WNBA veteran, coached Richardson as an assistant on ASU's staff previously in Richardson's collegiate career.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne, who coached both players, compared their respective games.
"They're different types of players," Turner Thorne said. "Both of them came in as freshmen and were impact players for us. Both of them grew into not only being a point guard, but being a combo guard and growing their scoring. The thing that they shared the most is just their poise."
Fellow senior guard Kiara Russell also had a solid game for the Sun Devils, making all four of her shot attempts on the afternoon. After the game, Russell praised her teammate of four years.
"I'm just so proud of Reili for breaking the all time record," Russell said. "She's an amazing point guard and I am happy to be her partner on the court."
After a rough couple of games against the Oregon schools last weekend, ASU finished up a sweep of the Washington schools on Sunday. The win moves ASU into fifth place in the Pac-12 standings.
Next up, ASU will play on the road against Colorado on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at ltochter@asu.edu and follow @Leo_Toch on Twitter.
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