Devils in Detail
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ASU WBB: Arizona State Wins “Biggest Game” of Their Season Against Arizona.

By Leah Soto

Mar 23, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Sophie Brunner (21) drives against UALR Trojans forward Shanity James (20) during the second half in the second round of the women
Mar 23, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Sophie Brunner (21) drives against UALR Trojans forward Shanity James (20) during the second half in the second round of the women /
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After leading by as much as 22 points, ASU basketball secured a well-earned 67-54 win against the University of Arizona in what coach Charli Turner Thorne said was the “biggest game of our season”.

The win gives ASU basketball an 8-8 record against conference opponents and ties them with Oregon for fifth in the Pac-12.

Coach Charli Turner Thorne called it a “great team win”, with all but one player making a basket.

The Sun Devils often slow-down in the second quarter, but this time around they managed to play energetic and physical basketball all the way through the fourth quarter. Their speedy style of play resulted in 14 fast-break points, compared to the Wildcats’ two fast-break points.

“We brought more energy than Friday’s game,” said freshman Kiara Russell.

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Arizona State shot decently from behind the arc, they made 4 of 12 threes; meanwhile, they held their opponent to a measly 2 of 13. Overall, they made 46.9 percent of their field-goals.

Sophomore Sabrina Haines and Senior Sophie Brunner led the Sun Devils to their victory. Haines made 13 points with 2-2 shooting from three. Brunner scored 10 points and had five rebounds, second only to Robbi Ryan who grabbed six.

“We didn’t let them get comfortable from the get-go,” said Brunner.

ASU’s first field goal came within 26 seconds of tip-off and the Wildcats never recovered.

By the end of the first half, the score was 33-21. Their lead continued to increase in the third, they led 51-32 going into the fourth quarter.

Arizona State will go on to play the University of Southern California on Friday. Their previous match-up ended in a 65-50 USC win.

If ASU’s energy and confidence stay with them when they play USC, they should have little problem securing the win.

“When we get our stuff going, we can be a really dangerous team,” said Haines.

Next: Top Storylines for ASU Athletics in 2017

The two teams will face-off at 8 p.m. MST in Tempe; it will be available to stream on Pac-12 Networks.