Sights and sounds from the gritty, energetic victory in Molly Miller's first game with Arizona State

TEMPE- The Arizona State Sun Devils begin the Molly Miller era with a win over the Coppin State Eagles with a final score of 67-53 on Monday in Tempe.

Head coach Molly Miller appears to be elated after getting the team's first win of the season in front of its home crowd. In the postgame, she also gave a shout-out to Athletic Director Graham Rossini for bringing her into the program.

The first play of the Molly Miller era begins with forward McKinna Brackens dishing it out to forward Heloisa Carrera, who lays it in.

The Sun Devils continued to fight for dead balls and turn them into offensive rebounds and steals. The starting backcourt duo of guards Marley Washenitz and Gabby Elliott had a combined 11 of Arizona State's 19 steals throughout the game.

Even though it was the first game of the season, Miller mentioned that there were some butterflies in the players' stomachs but was proud to see them bounce back in the fourth quarter.

“I knew we would take a little while to knock off the rust and calm the jitters," Miller said Monday. "I didn't know it was going to take three quarters, but we scored 29 in the first half and we scored 27 in the fourth quarter, so I'd like a little bit more of those fourth quarter runs. Our defense kept us in it for three quarters. Playing from behind going into the fourth quarter, that's a testament to our team and our perseverance and leadership we have. It's just a great way to be tested but also come out with a victory.

"I know (our players) weren't satisfied. I could hear them at the end saying it was an ugly win. That's why defense wins because when you're having a first half in the 20s, it wasn't our defense that was the issue. We were missing layups and missing some uncharacteristic 3-pointers. It was the first time for us to put on the jersey and walk out with a crowd like that, so we'll settle in and I'm excited for the fans to come back and see what's in store next.”

Elliott has gotten more comfortable in Miller's system, scoring ten of her 14 points and making big-time shots in crunch time in the second half.

She emphasized the importance of trust in the relationships Miller and the coaching staff are developing with the Sun Devils' players.

“Molly and the coaching staff did their job already with building their relationships with us so now that the season is here they know how to get the best out of us and get what we need from each individual and that’s the best part. We’re beyond the building relationships part, we’re family now. That’s the best part about the relationships and the foundation that we’ve already built. We’re stacking on it but we know how to get the best out of each other.”

Washenitz led the team in scoring with 17 points and three-point shooting with two three-pointers made while playing 28 minutes.

She also observes the progress Miller and the coaching staff are making step by step to achieve bigger wins both on and off the court.

“It feels great," Washenitz said. "I think that we put in so much hard work from the staff to the players, even to the support staff. Everyone has put in so much hard work to see it come on to the court.

"Granted, we wanted this game to look a little bit better and cleaner on our end but at the end of the day we got the result we wanted and I think that’s all that matters. It was really awesome to be able to celebrate each other on the court in the environment we want to build.”

The Arizona State Sun Devils will face Eastern Washington at home on Saturday, November 8.