(Photo via Max Zepeda/WCSN)
The Natasha Adair era is officially underway at Arizona State. The new head coach started her term on a high note Monday night as the Sun Devils were able to grind out a 69-68 win against Northern Arizona.
“This team, this new team, became closer today,” Adair said. “We were in a battle today against a really good NAU team, and I’m super proud of how hard we played to get the win.”
The game came down to the final possession, or rather, the final three possessions. After junior guard Jaddan Simmons hit two free throws to put the Sun Devils up by one with 20 seconds left, NAU was able to generate three shots to try and take the lead, but ASU stifled the Lumberjacks each time to secure the win.
Although it was a crucial win for Adair and her team, it wasn’t exactly a pretty one. ASU won the game despite shooting 36.1% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the three-point arc. NAU wasn’t much better, shooting 35.6% from the field and 33.3% from deep. The difference maker came in the free throw department, where ASU shot 72.2% from the line, compared to a lackluster 46.7% from the Lumberjacks.
“We do this drill called ‘win the game’ at the end of every practice where you make one (free throw), you get the point. If you miss it, the other team gets the point,” Adair said. “So as (Simmons) is walking up to the free throw line, you hear her teammates saying ‘win the game, win the game,’ so that’s a point of reference because it’s something we work on every day.”
Away from the free-throw line, Simmons was integral to ASU’s success. While most of her team struggled to make baskets, Simmons remained focused and consistent, ending with 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting. She also made several key defensive plays to help build the Sun Devils’ momentum. The 5-foot-9 guard ended the night with six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
“My mindset is to always be aggressive on the offensive and defensive side,” Simmons said. “I know that I have to be a two-way player in order for us to be good. Today I was just going in calm and confident.”
On the opposite side, senior guard Regan Schenck carried the Lumberjacks with her efforts. She was most effective with penetrating the defense and finding her teammates for open shots. She logged a whopping 40 minutes and tallied up 18 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and four steals.
However, Simmons was once again the hero for the Sun Devils. She matched up with Schenck in the fourth quarter and held her to 2-for-7 from the field and forced two turnovers.
Even though everything didn’t go exactly according to plan for the Sun Devils, ASU still made the winning plays when it mattered most. Adair hopes to build on Monday’s victory to usher in a new era of ASU basketball.
“There was just so much on the game; this new team, this new era, just all of what was going on around them,” Adair said. “I think now they can take a deep breath and say we did it together, and let’s go do it again.”
