ASU Basketball: Devils break through against top-10 team, upset Beavers

After four single-digit losses vs. top-10 opponents, ASU basketball broke through Sunday winning a double overtime thriller at No. 10 Oregon State.

Arizona State got over the hump.

After a tough six-point loss at No. 5 Oregon Friday night, the 19th-ranked Sun Devils entered Sunday with four losses against top-10 teams with the largest defeat being seven points.

In front of a hostile environment in Corvallis, Arizona State broke through with a 79-76 double-overtime win over the 10th-ranked Beavers behind big performances from forward Kianna Ibis and guard Reili Richardson.

Ibis, who’s averaging over 17 points a game in conference play, dropped a season-high 28 points. In the second half, Ibis scored 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting including ASU’s final 11 points of the fourth quarter.

It was a back-and-forth game that saw numerous lead changes in the fourth quarter. Oregon State jumped out to an early 12-5 lead only to see Arizona State finish the first half outscoring the Beavers 28-14 to take a seven-point lead into halftime.

Then the Beavers started making their 3-pointers. Entering the game, Oregon State led the Pac-12 in 3-point field goal percentage (43.6 percent).

Arizona State led 38-30 following a technical foul on Beavers head coach Scott Rueck. Following that, Oregon State made four straight 3-pointers to take a 44-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

After that, it was the Kianna Ibis show.

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Ibis scored 13 of ASU’s 18 points in the fourth quarter to put the Sun Devils in position in the final seconds to close out the game.

Oregon State guard Mikayla Pivec forced overtime converting a contested layup. Pivec finished 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as she went toe-to-toe with Ibis.

In the first overtime, Arizona State led 64-62 after a layup from forward Iris Mbulito with 2:19 remaining.

Pivec answered with four straight points herself to put the Beavers ahead 66-64 with 1:08.

That’s when guard Reili Richardson drove to the basket past guard Destiny Slocum drawing an and-1 opportunity. She missed the potential go-ahead free throw giving OSU a chance to win the game with 14.4 seconds remaining.

Pivec missed a pull-up jumper sending the game to double overtime, the first double-OT game in two years for the Sun Devils.

It was a much higher scoring period for the Sun Devils as they scored 11 points from four players.

The big shot came from Richardson as she made her third 3-pointer of the game with 3:20 remaining to give the Sun Devils a 71-68 lead.

Richardson dropped a career-high 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting to go with six assists and has answered the call in three close Pac-12 wins with clutch buckets.

That 3-pointer proved to be the decisive bucket as Oregon State was never able to tie the game. They pulled within one but Richardson and Russell combined to make two free throws to make it 79-76 Sun Devils with 11 seconds remaining.

On the ensuing possession, guard Katie McWilliams airballed a 3-pointer from the top of the key and the Sun Devils held on for the win.

Arizona State improved to 13-5 (4-3 Pac-12) having gone 2-2 against in their last four games against ranked opponents.

dark. Next. ASU Basketball: Sun Devils fall short against No. 5 Oregon

The Sun Devils will open a three-game homestand Friday morning against UCLA before playing USC next Sunday and Arizona on Feb. 1.