Arizona State scores impressive road win over Penn State, remains unbeaten on the year

The wins just keep on coming for the Sun Devils.

After Molly Miller clinched the record for best start in program history with a win over San Francisco, her Sun Devils drew a tough three-game road trip to close out non-conference play. The first one came tonight, against a Penn State squad that had jumped out to a 6-2 start and had some wondering if they could be a darkhorse contender in the Big Ten.

Whether or not that ends up being the case, it wasn't a deterrent for Arizona State, as they pulled off an impressive 74-60 thrashing of the Nittany Lions. The best part was that Gabby Elliott, who transferred to Arizona State this summer from Penn State, ended up leading the team in scoring.

Elliott finished with 27 points, hitting 50% from the court and connecting on two of her five three-point shots. She also added three rebounds, three assists, and four steals, putting on an all-around show against her former team.

McKinna Brackens finished the night with a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. She also led an elite team defensive performance with five steals.

Arizona State started the game off slow, as they've done several times this season. After one quarter, they actually trailed 18-13, and do-it-all wing Marley Washenitz was in early foul trouble. She'd eventually foul out, finishing the night with just 10 minutes played, but the team managed to dominate even without her presence.

The second quarter saw the Sun Devils get shot out of a canon. Their offense lit up, but most importantly, the defense clamped the brakes on Penn State. They outscored the Nittany Lions 20-4 in the second quarter, and a 26-16 third quarter helped widen the gap.

Penn State is hardly a powerhouse program, but they were the first Power 4 school the Sun Devils had played this year, and they're a solid one at that. Talia Goodman, who covers women's basketball at large for On3, shared her own impression after watching the Sun Devils run away with this one.

Up next for Arizona State is a Sunday trip to Oregon State. Arizona State is looking as good as anyone right now, sitting at 11-0, and they've still got room to improve. It's exciting to think about how high this team's ceiling is right now.