(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
No. 16 Arizona State’s five-game winning streak came to an end Friday in Tucson after falling to No. 18 Arizona 59-53.
For the first time in history, both programs came into the matchup ranked in the AP top 25, and the game lived up to the hype.
Senior guard Robbi Ryan put up a career-high 25 points. Arizona’s Aari McDonald stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
10,160 people attended the game at McKale Center and made their presence felt throughout the entire night
Both teams started out sloppy. ASU turned the ball over six times and Arizona turned it over five times during the first period. However, Ryan and McDonald traded buckets as both of their teams started to settle in at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter was all ASU. The Sun Devils’ defense showed up yet again as they held Arizona to 25 percent shooting and forced eight turnovers in the first half. ASU held a 23-17 lead with seconds remaining in the half, until McDonald connected on a half-court heave as time expired.
The entire game shifted after that play.
The Wildcats fed off their boisterous fans and started getting things going in the third quarter. Arizona shot 53.3 percent from the field and held Arizona State’s offense in check.
“They played the exact same in the first half,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We knew they were going to deny our top scorers, and they did a good job of that.”
Arizona focused on denying senior forward Ja’Tavia Tapley.
“I was really frustrated,” said Tapley, who had eight points and shot 2-9 from the field. “I make those plays in practice all the time, so I just need to be more poised and take my time.”
To top off the Wildcats’ electric third quarter, senior guard Amari Carter hit another three-pointer at the buzzer to put the Wildcats up six.
Arizona continued to feed off the crowd noise and the momentum they gained in the third quarter. Ryan led a struggling ASU offense with nine points in the final period. Despite her scoring, ASU could not hold off McDonald, who had 10 fourth quarter points.
“We need to clean things up offensively,” Ryan said. “Their pressure bothered us, and we didn’t control the things we could control.”
Arizona State will finish conference play 0-2 against their in-state rivals for the first time in 20 years. The team is hoping for another shot to play Arizona in the PAC-12 Tournament.
“Yeah I want to see them again,” Ryan said. “They’re a great team, but we are also a great team, and it’s a great rivalry for our school.”
The Sun Devils’ next game is not until January 31 against USC. Tip-off for that game is at 11 a.m. MT from Desert Financial Arena.
