Devils in Detail
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ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils leave Cancun with win over Columbia

By Sam Ficarro

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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After a pair of losses versus Mississippi State and Green Bay, ASU women’s basketball won their final game in Cancun defeating Columbia 72-48.

The first two days in the Cancun Challenge were frustrating for ASU women’s basketball as they were in foul trouble and started slow in both games.

Saturday’s game was different.

The Sun Devils leave Cancun with a win defeating Columbia 72-48 behind four players scoring in double-figures.

Forward Jamie Ruden tied her career-high with her second straight 12-point performance with guard Robbi Ryan also pitching in 12 points. Ryan made her first start of the season Saturday.

Also scoring double-digit points was forward Sophia Elenga, who scored 11 points, and center Charnea Johnson-Chapman, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Arizona State led for the majority of the game as they outscored the Lions in every quarter.

The Sun Devils didn’t shoot particularly well in the first quarter as the team shot 5-of-16 with steady improvements in each quarter. ASU finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field.

Columbia only trailed 17-14 after one quarter, but weren’t able to support their star forward Camille Zimmerman in the loss.

Zimmerman finished the game with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 4 rebounds. The rest of the team scored 25 points shooting 10-of-31.

The Sun Devils attacked the paint Saturday, something they were unable to do against Mississippi State and Green Bay.

Arizona State outscored Columbia 28-14 in the paint while also outscoring the Lions 35-9 in bench points.

ASU also weren’t in foul trouble Saturday, something that head coach Charli Turner Thorne has noted for effecting her rotations in the previous two games, as Columbia committed 22 fouls compared to Arizona State’s 13.

The Sun Devils shot 20-of-25 from the free throw line with the Lions shot 9-of-11.

Defensively, the Sun Devils created havoc against the Lions forcing 19 turnovers resulting in 22 points. ASU turned the ball over just three times.

Next: ASU Women’s Basketball: Devils drop game two in Cancun

This was a much-needed win for Arizona State to move on from the frustration of the last two losses. The 5-2 Sun Devils will be back in action next Saturday for the beginning of the ASU Classic against Buffalo.