(Photo Credit: Steve Rodriguez/Sun Devil Athletics)
The No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils (22-7, 11-6) could not overcome a blistering pace set by the Oregon Ducks (14-14, 5-12), falling in Eugene, Ore. Friday night 98-90.
Foul trouble proved to be a key factor in the game, as every Sun Devil as five players committed four fouls each. Oregon, on the other hand, only totaled 16 fouls. Despite these issues, the game remained fairly close throughout and wasn’t completely decided until the closing minutes.
Oregon brought their typical fast-paced offense, and the Sun Devils showed they were able to keep up. ASU overcame an early 12-point deficit to trail by one at the half, 45-46.
Arizona State’s redshirt senior center Joy Burke came out hot, scoring ASU’s first 10 points. Burke led all scorers at the half with 16 points, but the Ducks’ senior guard Ariel Thomas wasn’t far behind, as she hit two early three-pointers and put up 15 in the first 20 minutes.
The Sun Devils turned to their guards in the second half. Redshirt senior guard Deja Mann scored 13 and redshirt sophomore guard Katie Hempen added 12. Despite their efforts, Oregon’s sophomore forward Jillian Alleyne dominated the second half, where she scored 22 of her 29 points. She also finished with a game-high 16 rebounds.
Ducks freshman Chrishae Rowe added 25 points, going 10-12 from the free-throw line.
With six minutes remaining, the Sun Devils lost their lead for good as the Ducks went on a 10-3 run to pull away.
The Sun Devils will face Oregon State on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. MST for their last game of the regular season.
You can reach Katy Burge on Twitter @KatyBurge or via email at katy.burge@asu.edu
