(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)
Spurred by a 27-point performance from Kianna Ibis and a 15-0 fourth quarter run, the then No. 22 Arizona State Sun Devils women’s basketball team defeated Colorado Sunday 76-70 at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado.
After her late-game heroics against Utah, Kianna Ibis came out scorching hot on Sunday, scoring 16 points in the first half of action. That point total alone would’ve ranked among her best performances of the season.
Ibis did not slow down in the second half either, adding 11 points to her total. She knocked down both of her threes in the second quarter and finished the game with a sparkling 55 percent shooting clip.
However, as impressive as Ibis was, she was matched by Colorado’s Kennedy Leonard who scored 15 in the first half to counter the 16 from Ibis. Unlike Ibis, Leonard did cool off in the second half as she watched the lead slip from her team’s grasp.
While Ibis and Leonard stole the show early, Colorado got a lot of help from their supporting cast. The Buffaloes got complementary performances from Quinessa Caylao-Do and Alexis Robinson, who finished with 15 and 13 points respectively.
For all the talk this season about team wins from ASU, there was not a ton of help from the players around Ibis. Nobody aside from the star forward reached double figures. Nevertheless, everyone on the roster that saw over five minutes of action etched their name into the scoring column for the Devils, as ASU finished the game with 10 total scorers and 23 bench points.
It was another grind-it-out type of win for the Sun Devils on the road, but Charli Turner Thorne should be pleased with the grit her team has shown throughout this extended period away from the Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils trailed at halftime in both of their games against the mountain schools this weekend and came back to win both of them.
That’s the sign of a team that can close out games. The Devils are going to need to hold onto that mentality with the toughest part of the season looming.
Side Notes
ASU secured the win on Sunday despite losing the turnover battle 17-11. Robbi Ryan had the most turnovers with three.
ASU did not attempt a first half free throw, and only attempted one shot from the foul line in the third quarter before getting to the line 13 times in the final period. The Devils finished the game 10-14 on free throws.
The Sun Devils were superior in both fast break points (12-6) and second chance points (14-8), showcasing their ability to be a superior rebounding team and also run the floor efficiently.
The game was back-and-forth all the way, featuring 16 ties and 11 lead changes.
Up Next
This will be the toughest stretch for the ASU women’s basketball team this season. The Devils will play four ranked teams in a row starting Friday, Jan. 11 at home against No. 6 Stanford. That game will be followed by a second home contest on the following Sunday against No. 18 Cal. Two road games follow the next weekend against a No. 5 Oregon team and No. 11 Oregon State. These next four games will be very telling about where ASU stands in the Pac-12 this season. If they can find a way to split the games or come away with a winning record, they will be in prime position to compete for the Pac-12 championship. 1-3 or 0-4 could spoil the Devils chances at a Pac-12 regular season crown down the road.
