ASU women's basketball made big plays when it mattered in crunch time, beating Colorado 65-59 in Boulder Friday night.
The Sun Devils (19-8, 9-6 Pac-12) trailed by as many as six points in the fourth quarter, but thanks to stellar play from senior guard Robbi Ryan and senior forward Ja'Tavia Tapley, the team rallied back with a 10-0 run to secure its third victory in a row.
Ryan and senior guard Reili Richardson combined to score 31 points and out-shot the Buffaloes (15-11, 4-11) from behind the arc, combining to hit seven of 11 3-pointers while the Buffaloes as a team made four of 15.
Tapley continued to provide a reliable presence in the post, scoring 16 points on 71% shooting, including making five free throws in the fourth quarter.
ASU came out of the gates slow, allowing Colorado to shoot 60% in the first quarter. The Sun Devils quickly made up for it in the second quarter, outscoring the Buffaloes 21-9 and shot 75% from the field to lead 33-27 going into halftime.
After allowing Colorado to score 20 points in the third quarter, ASU took control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Colorado 20-12 and holding them to 29% shooting in the frame.
Friday night was another instance of ASU's senior class propelling the team to a victory in a close contest, with Ryan, Richardson and Tapley accounting for all but one of ASU’s points in the final quarter.
ASU travels to Salt Lake City to take on Utah on Feb. 23 at noon MST for its final Pac-12 road game of the season.
Reach the reporter at ltochter@asu.edu and follow @Leo_Toch on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
