Devils in Detail
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ASU WBB: Devils Roll Against Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament

By Jordan Kaye

Sep 18, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky looks on during the first half against the New Mexico Lobos at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky looks on during the first half against the New Mexico Lobos at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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The ASU Basketball women’s team cruised to a 72-54 victory in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

The senior frontcourt powered ASU basketball the entire game, Sophie Brunner, Kelsey Moos, and Quinn Dornstauder finished with a combined 28 points and 25 rebounds.

They were able to make a great impact on defense too, keeping the Utes in front of them, not giving up too many easy layups.

“I didn’t really have to have message,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said, “Sophie, Quinn, Kelsey, they help make sure these kids know you don’t save anything.”

One of those kids, sophomore guard Sabrina Haines was able to take the load off the seniors, putting up 12 points and 4 rebounds. She has emerged as the number one option in the frontcourt for the Devils, after leading the guards in points towards the end of Pac-12 play.

Utah was able came back from a 19-8 first quarter deficit, cutting it to three in the second quarter behind the strong play of their junior forward Emily Potter.

Potter finished with 10 points and six rebounds and was the only Ute who could get any action on the boards.

“The second quarter, I thought we just let up,” Turner Thorne said, “We fouled on offensive rebounds, it was really more about us than them.”

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ASU dominated down low, out rebounding Utah 22-13 at half. Most of those were thanks to Quinn Dornstauder who seemed to get her hand on everything, finishing the half with 12 boards to go along with 10 points.

The Sun Devils came out with a vengeance in the second half, starting off on an 11-2 run in the first 3:30 of the third quarter. Arizona State went on cruise control thereafter, never letting Utah back in the game.

“We talked at halftime,” Turner Thorne said, “Just do what we do at ASU, and (we) took control of the game.”

Utah started to press ASU in the second half, but it never seemed to faze them. The Devils faced the press just a week ago against USC and they seem very comfortable against it, not getting cornered or making lazy passes.

The surprise of the game came from the bench where freshman forward Jamie Ruden suited up for her first game since December.

Ruden was out with a stress fracture in her foot and it seemed unlikely that she would play again this season. She finished with five points in just seven minutes of action.

“Jamie Ruden hasn’t even practiced,” Turner Thorne said, “We just kinda threw her out there because she was cleared,”

Charli Turner Thorne and the Devils have not had any recent success in the Pac-12 Tournament, not winning more than two games since 2007 where they lost in the final.

They will play the four seed UCLA tomorrow who they have lost to twice already this season. They will need to make adjustments in order come out on top in their third matchup.

Next: ASU WBB: Rapid Reaction – ASU Wins in First Round of Tournament

“We let them go on a run at the end of the (last) game”, Sophie Brunner said about their matchup vs. UCLA,” (we will need to) finish out the game and get key defensive rebounds and key defensive stops.”