Sun Devils survive scare from Oregon State, remain undefeated after overtime win

The Sun Devils came as close as they have all year to losing a game, but in the end they could not be denied.

Their penultimate non-conference game, a road trip to face Oregon State, promised to be a tough matchup. The Beavers have been a fairly constant presence in the tournament and they were 6-1 at home this season.

The game started off slow, with both defenses forcing multiple missed shots and turnovers, and the Sun Devils led 11-6 after the first quarter. Each team's offense picked it up from there, and Arizona State held a narrow 26-21 lead at halftime.

The Beavers, led by star Tiara Bolden, flipped the switch in the second half. They outscored the Sun Devils in both quarters, with Jenna Villa leading the team in scoring with 18 points. But it was Villa's passing that made the difference, as she hit Bolden on a second-chance opportunity before watching Bolden drain a three to tie the game with 26 seconds left.

Both teams would get off longshot three's from there, both missing, to send it into overtime. Neither squad had gone into overtime yet this season, and both groups of players looked to be exhausted after such a physical game.

Bolden started things off with a three to put the Beavers up on the first possession of overtime. McKinna Brackens cut the deficit to one with a layup, but both teams went cold from there, missing the next combined seven shots.

As the game ticked under a minute, and Oregon State still led 53-52, it was starting to look dire for the Sun Devils. But some selfless passing resulted in Last-Tear Poa getting wide open in the corner, and the point guard buried her first three of the game in the biggest moment.

That gave Arizona State the lead with just 16 seconds left. After an Oregon State timeout, Kennedie Shuler tried to drive on Poa. As she lowered her shoulder and knocked Poa to the ground (no charge was called), Shuler went up for a game-tying layup, but the shot rolled out of the hoop.

Just like that, Poa had won the game for Arizona State. Her clutch three-point shot and then her stout defense made the difference, a fitting moment for the point guard that seemingly does it all.

Brackens finished the game with 12 points, tying Heloisa Carrera for the team lead. Gabby Elliott and Marley Washenitz also posted impressive stat lines: 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals for Elliott, with 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals for Washenitz.

The win marks Arizona State's fourth victory away from home and moves them to 12-0 on the year. They've already achieved the best start in program history, and on Tuesday they'll travel to Spokane to face Gonzaga in an effort to finish the non-conference schedule undefeated.