Arizona State women’s basketball took on Holy Cross which proved to be an easy win for the Devils.
Holy Cross missed a lot of shots while ASU managed to get it done in the paint and off turnovers. The game ended-up as a blow out with the final score being 63-33.
Through the first quarter, the energy of both teams was evident as they seemed to be racing back-and-forth across the court, and the ball never seemed to stay on one side for too long. Nonetheless, neither team was able to really push past their opponent as the score was tied three times in the first 10 minutes alone. With 15 seconds left in the first quarter, Holy Cross player Tricia Byrne was able to sink a three-pointer resulting in an 11-8 Crusader lead.
“We looked like we were on Christmas break the first quarter,” Coach Charli Turner Thorne said of her team’s weak performance.
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However, his would be the last time that the Crusaders held the lead. The Devils regained the lead early in the second quarter off a Kelsey Moos layup and ran with it from there holding Holy Cross to scoring only three points for the remainder of the half.
The Sun Devils were aggressive on defense and forced 19 turnovers and held Holy Cross to only 28 percent shooting. Additionally, ASU’s deep line-up gave them an energy edge over Holy Cross who struggled to keep up with the fast-pace in the second and fourth quarters.
The stars of the game were senior Sophie Brunner and sophomore Kianna Ibis. Brunner played as well as she has been as of late, leading the team with 14 points and six rebounds. Ibis only scored four less than her teammate and tied her in rebounds. Meanwhile, freshman Reili Richardson continued to impress with eight points and six assists.
With 1:37 left in the game a Haines pass to Ryan led to a Goodson layup that was so beautiful an “Oh!” went through the crowd.
After the Devils came back from their first quarter “Christmas Break” they played with the skill and energy that we’ve come to expect from Turner Thorne’s team. The Sun Devils will look to continue their winning streak when they face Stanford University on December 30 at 4:00 p.m.