ASU Basketball: Comeback falls short as Bruins eliminate Sun Devils

ASU basketball’s resilience gave UCLA nearly all it could handle, but the Bruins came out on top 73-69 to advance to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals.

Arizona State’s resilience gave UCLA nearly all it could handle, but the Bruins came out on top 73-69.

Arizona State was in a bind early in Friday’s quarterfinal game against UCLA. The Devils were down 37-22 midway through the second quarter as the Bruins were bullying them with dribble penetration and offensive rebounds.

But head coach Charli Turner Thorne’s squad had been down more and prevailed before.

“Incredibly resilient team,” Turner Thorne said. “You add discipline to that, and we can beat anybody in the country.”

ASU slowed down the pace, got to the free-throw line and chipped away, lowering the deficit to 10 by halftime. The bench was a major contributor all game, but ASU’s depth was at its height in the third quarter.

The third frame had a faster pace, but with Arizona State commanding it. Eight different Sun Devils made baskets in the period, and the score was 57-56 heading into the final 10 minutes.

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The Bruins clawed back and went on a 6-0 run to start the quarter. ASU never got back within one possession. A herculean-style comeback like it completed against Utah a few weeks ago was fought off by the Bruins, and the final was 73-69. Arizona State was eliminated from the tournament in the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six seasons.

The Devils fell behind early because UCLA’s strengths (scoring down low and rebounding) overpowered them. ASU’s defense inside was lacking, leading to 24 points in the paint in the first half for the Bruins.

“We were switching screens we shouldn’t have. We were playing soft,” Turner Thorne said. “So, we let them throw the first punch and kind of jump on us.”

In the second half, ASU’s interior defense held its own, it allowed just three offensive rebounds and the Devils won the battle of the boards 16-10.

The biggest issue they faced was a new one, turning the ball over. All year, ASU had done an excellent job of making sure every possession ended with a shot. During the regular season, it was tied for tenth in fewest turnovers per game. Today, it gave the ball away 17 times, seven of which were in the fourth quarter.

Point guard Reili Richardson had the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country during the regular season, but even she lost the ball five times against UCLA. The Bruins scored six more points off of turnovers than ASU, the difference in the game.

“We’re not a team that that turns the ball over, which is very uncharacteristic of us today,” Turner Thorne said. “We were just not a disciplined team that we normally are. So, it’s a little tough to swallow.”

“I think we were inside our own heads too much,” Richardson said. “I think we need to make sure we feel each other on the court.”

For the fourth straight season, UCLA is headed to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals, while Arizona State now has time off to prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

“I bet everybody in the Pac-12 is feeling a little beat up and sore and stuff,” senior Kianna Ibis said. ‘I just have to play through it better.”

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Now the team has ample time to recover. How it regroups will determine how far it goes in the NCAA Tournament. The selection show is Monday, March 18.

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