ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils best Grambling State 62-49

(Photo via Janaé Bradford/WCSN)

ASU Women’s Basketball dismantled the Grambling State Tigers 62-49 Friday afternoon. Junior guard transfer Tyi Skinner led the Devils in scoring with 16 points. She was one of four ASU starters to record double-digit points.

Skinner, a former Delaware Blue Hen, came out firing for ASU. Her 16 points came on 5-for-12 shooting and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. After the game, Skinner spoke about what her performance this afternoon meant to her.

“It feels great, even with all the changes,” Skinner said. “The sisterhood is still there amongst the team. We got to know each other in a short period of time, and I love playing with them. They support me. I support them. I trust them, and they trust me.”

Friday’s matchup with Grambling State was the first game of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series that will see several Pac-12 teams take on squads from the SWAC – a conference made up of historically black colleges and universities. ASU head coach Natasha Adair believes this series will be impactful for student-athletes in both the SWAC and Pac-12.

“I think anytime we have an opportunity to talk about social issues and bring them to the forefront and use our platform, but also just merge, you know, with the Pac-12 and the SWAC,” Adair said. “I think it’s our opportunity and our responsibility to make sure that we educate and grow our student-athletes. You have a responsibility, especially on this big stage, to make sure we’re not just coaching them on the court.”

After a lackluster Sun Devil debut against NAU, junior guard transfer Treasure Hunt struck gold on Friday, tallying 13 points and 11 rebounds for her first breakout game in the Maroon and Gold.

“I love the atmosphere,” Hunt said. “I think the fans and the crowd are so supportive. It’s a great feeling. It’s great to have all the students section. Everybody’s behind us, so it’s really a great feeling, in my opinion.”

Junior guard Jaddan Simmons had another solid performance for the Sun Devils, leaving the court with 12 points and six rebounds. Simmons, as one of two returners in ASU’s starting five, has already earned the trust of Adair. Although she was more of a facilitator in her previous seasons with ASU, Simmons has embraced the role of being one of her team’s lead scorers. Nonetheless, she still is able to find her teammates to set them up for success.

“[Point guard] is a lot of facilitating, so I think now it’s easier to slow down, and I’m talking to them on the ball, so it’s easier to take a deep breath and work outside and get in and get my teammates over and find a shot,” Simmons said.

Thanks to Friday’s victory, the Sun Devils will carry a 2-0 record with them when they travel north to Bozeman, Montana, to take on Montana State for their first road test on Nov. 15.