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ASU WBB: ASU Loses to Stanford in Pac-12 opener

By Leah Soto

Mar 7, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Amber Orrange (33) get by Arizona State Sun Devils forward Kelsey Moos (24) during the semifinals of the Pac-12 Women
Mar 7, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Amber Orrange (33) get by Arizona State Sun Devils forward Kelsey Moos (24) during the semifinals of the Pac-12 Women /
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Arizona State women’s basketball couldn’t secure the win against Stanford for their Pac-12 opener.

Both teams came out ready to shoot and played with the intensity that is expected of two ranked teams which led to a close game. Ultimately, ASU lost 57-64.

The Sun Devils struck first when Sophie Brunner scored in the first minute. ASU came out of the gate shooting and taking advantage of turnovers. Stanford briefly took the lead near the end but ultimately the quarter ended in an 18-14 lead for the Devils. Of their 18 points, six were off turnovers and they shot 44 percent from the field.

However, the Sun Devils struggled early in the second as they shot only 20 percent from the field in the first four minutes allowing Stanford to tie the game. After a much needed timeout, they started sinking their shots and improved to 40 percent for the quarter but it wasn’t enough to match Stanford’s 54.5 percent. Arizona State was down 30-31 at halftime looking to come back out of the half with a newfound shooting touch.

The third quarter saw both teams struggling to keep a substantial lead. In those 10 minutes alone, the score was tied twice and the lead changed four times, but by the end of the quarter, Stanford had increased their lead to six points.

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Going into the fourth quarter with a score of 41-48, Stanford managed to increase the lead to eight, a deficit that the Devils narrowed but never fully overcame.

Senior Sophie Brunner shined in this game scoring 15 points and nine rebounds and freshman Reili Richardson continued to show off her versatility. Not only did Richardson score 14 points, but she also grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. It wasn’t enough, however, for the Sun Devils to secure the win.

ASU displayed superb ball movement throughout the entire game. Not a single player seemed to hold onto the ball longer than necessary and more than a few times they left the crowd in awe with a play.

Additionally, in the last three quarters of the game, neither team committed enough turnovers for the other team to really gain an advantage. This, and both team’s defensive capabilities, resulted in a competitive game where the biggest lead by either team was only eight points.

Arizona State women’s basketball will try to bounce back from their loss when they face California on January 1 at 3:00 p.m. MST, it will be available to watch on Pac-12 Networks.

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