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ASU Basketball: Slow start sinks Sun Devils at Florida State

By Sam Ficarro

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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ASU basketball started slow as a 16-point first quarter lead for the 13th-ranked Florida State Seminoles proved to be too much as the Sun Devils lose 77-66.

ASU basketball, in their final road game of non-conference play, matched up against one of the best rebounding teams in the nation in No. 13 Florida State.

The Sun Devils lost the battle on the glass and struggled defensively throughout the game as Arizona State lost 77-66.

Florida State came out clicking in the first quarter outscoring Arizona State 27-11 shooting 53 percent from the field and out-rebounding ASU 11-2.

“I think our team was nervous,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “I think they punched us in the face and that’s the fastest pace game we’ve played in so far. Obviously, you can’t spot a team 16 points in the first quarter.”

Despite a poor first quarter, Arizona State matched Florida State in the final three quarters outscoring the Seminoles 55-50.

Guard Reili Richardson scored a career-high 18 points, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Guard Robbi Ryan scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and forward Kianna Ibis finished just short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

For Florida State, the rebounding and transition offense was on point as the Noles out-rebounded Arizona State 37-29 and had 10 fastbreak points. FSU shot 49 percent from the field.

This was the first game without Sabrina Haines, who did not make the trip to Tallahassee and is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Turner Thorne was trying to find the right pairing in the backcourt.

“We knew this game would show ‘OK, this is our new team,'” Turner Thorne said. “I thought we got better offensively today. We really moved the ball well and shot the ball well.”

The frontcourt struggled to get going inside as the Sun Devils were outscored in the paint by Florida State 40-16.

“Our inside game wasn’t what it has been and that’s going to be a challenge,” Turner Thorne said. “I thought Kianna [Ibis] did what Kianna does, but we didn’t get our other bigs going and I think that’s when we get our balanced attack.”

Next: ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils impress in ASU Classic

Arizona State is now 7-3 and will finish non-conference play next week when they host Idaho on Dec. 18 and host Arkansas Dec. 21 before opening up Pac-12 play.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.