ASU Glides Past Utah Tech, Starts 6-0

During a timeout in the fourth quarter of Arizona State’s (6-0) women’s basketball game against Utah Tech, ASU players could be seen dancing on the court to the Village People’s “YMCA.”

Pumping their fists in the air and dancing, the Sun Devils’ 81-54 rout of Utah Tech (3-2) was worth celebrating.

“That’s the personality of this team,” head coach Molly Miller said. “They’re loose, and I’m okay with that. They enjoy each other’s company.”

ASU dominated the Trailblazers in nearly every statistical category on route to its first 6-0 start since the 1991-92 season.

The Sun Devils out-rebounded Utah Tech 62 to 36, tied for the third most total rebounds by a team so far this season.

“When I heard, I was like ‘that’s a lot,’” senior guard Gabby Elliott said. “I might have to check the numbers and make sure y’all ain’t lying to me.”

The Sun Devils took care of business on both ends, grabbing 23 offensive rebounds. This, in part, was due to their struggles from behind the three-point line.

ASU shot 4-for-21 from behind the arc, a disappointing 19 percent. The Sun Devils, who have struggled from three-point range to start the season, relied heavily on mid-range shots and second-chance points to get them past the Trailblazers.

The only Sun Devil who was able to sink multiple three-pointers in the game was junior forward McKinna Brackens. The UNLV transfer went 3-for-5 from downtown and was ASU’s leading scorer and rebounder with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Brackens’ versatility, as a bruising forward who can also stretch the floor with her three-point shooting, fit perfectly into Coach Miller’s game plan.

“Our emphasis this game was to play inside-out,” Miller said. “We wanted to establish the interior with (Heloisa) and Brackens, and they did that.”

Defensively, ASU impressed again, not allowing a made three-pointer by Utah Tech until the 7:07 mark of the third quarter.

“You wear teams down,” Coach Miller said. “We’re conditioned so where it doesn’t really show up in the box score all the time, but some of their misses are maybe a little short, or they’re not crashing the boards as much because we’ve worn them down in the fourth quarter.”

The Sun Devils were also able to give playing time to some bench players and evaluate whether or not they deserve to play extended minutes in the future.

Freshman guard Amaya Williams played 25 minutes. She was able to eclipse double-figure points and tie her career high. Williams had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists: a well-rounded performance.

Freshman center Martina Fantini played 18 minutes, a career high. Fantini added to the Sun Devils’ historic rebounding night with nine of her own. She was a presence on the glass all night.

In addition to some younger players getting opportunities, the Sun Devils also saw several veterans grace the court for extended minutes. Senior guard Makayla Moore and redshirt junior forward Deborah Davenport came off the bench and provided much help defensively.

The Sun Devils will not be traveling for winter break, as they play their next four games at home in Desert Financial Arena.

Their next contest comes against Little Rock on November 28.

The Molly Miller era in Tempe is off to a hot start, and with its constant development of stars and bench players alike, in addition to their consistent hard-nosed defense, it could only go up from here for the Sun Devils.