(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
A lack of shooting cost Arizona State head coach Molly Miller’s squad once again, as the Sun Devils dropped their fourth game of the season, 66-64, to Cincinnati.
ASU shot just 2-for-17 from the three-point line in Saturday’s lackluster performance against Cincinnati. The Bearcats entered the game sitting at only 7-13 on the season and 2-6 in conference play.
Despite the shooting struggles, the Sun Devils came out of the gate hot, shooting over 50 percent from the field in the first quarter and holding a 26-10 lead heading into quarter two.
ASU’s main scoring threats on offense early on was senior guard Gabby Elliott and sophomore forward Heloisa Carrera, who both put up an even eight points in the first period.
The defense and energy were the main weapons that catapulted ASU out to this early lead, as it would force 10 turnovers and only allow the Bearcats to attempt six shots in the whole period.
The Sun Devils would go on to make just two shots from the field and score a team total of just five points in the second quarter.
The turnover bug caught Miller’s team throughout the period as they gave the ball away six times and allowed 11 points off of those turnovers
The defense and rebounding also took a drastic step back in quarter two, allowing 19 points and 40 percent from the field, as well as being outrebounded by 12.
By halftime, ASU’s lead had been cut from 16 points at the beginning of the quarter down to two, 31-29.
The Sun Devils punched back to start the second half, going on a 7-0 run to begin the third quarter, led by junior forward McKenna Brackens, who was the Sun Devils’ second leading scorer with 18 points.
Brackens lived in and around the mid-range and free-throw line area all game, getting most of her baskets with short floaters or jumpshots.
The third quarter as a whole was much more positive for the Sun Devils, who led for the entirety of the quarter, extending their lead to as much as nine.
Elliott was once again the driving force for ASU, scoring another nine points while not missing a shot in the quarter.
The Bearcats would not go away, though, as they battled back every time the Sun Devils tried to pull away and had the lead back to five heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter would be the first time Cincinnati would hold a lead in this game, as both the Sun Devils and Bearcats would go back and forth with the lead.
ASU held a lead of four with just under two minutes remaining, then in the next minute and change, they would allow a flurry of Cincinnati baskets and trail by one.
Brackens sank a game-tying free throw before Cincinnati true freshman guard Joya Crawford stripped the veteran Elliott and went coast-to-coast for a game-winning layup.
Miller and her team were out-rebounded by 18, shot 25-70 from the field, and blew an 18-point first quarter in what would certainly be considered the worst loss of her young tenure in Tempe.
The now 17-4 Sun Devils will look to bounce back at home at Desert Financial Arena against rivals Arizona this upcoming Wednesday and win the first matchup of the Territorial Cup.
