(Photo: Brooke Faber/WCSN)
The No. 9 Arizona State Sun Devils finished off the regular season on Sunday afternoon, completing their Southern California road trip against No. 14 UCLA.
The Sun Devils couldn’t find their stride against a talented UCLA team, dropping their final game of the regular season 74-61.
This would’ve clinched ASU’s first outright conference championship, but even behind senior center Quinn Dornstader’s 24-point performance and junior forward Sophie Brunner’s double-double, ASU couldn’t get it done.
Once again, it came down to the scoring woes. ASU shot just 38 percent from the field in the first half. The Bruins got up early and didn’t look back, leading the Sun Devils by seven points at the end of the first quarter.
Coming into the second quarter, the Sun Devils continued to struggle on offense and trailed by 11 points.
Right out of the gate, it was all about UCLA’s talented backcourt. Jordin Canada and Nirra Fields combined for 25 points in the second half alone. Things did not mix well for the Sun Devils.
ASU, which normally can rely on its bench to pull them out when it needs it offensively, wasn’t enough in this game.
Stat of the Night: 38-24
ASU only shot 11 percent from beyond the arch, their points in the paint will typically make up for that. But today the Bruins kept those points at bay as well. UCLA was able to out score the Sun Devils in the paint by 14, something that should have been reversed considering ASU’s shooting struggles today.
Player of the game: Nirra Fields and Jordin Canada
There wasn’t a single player of the game, however a backcourt duo that was unstoppable. UCLA’s senior guard Nirra Fields and sophomore guard Jordin Canada couldn’t be contained on the offensive end. Fields totaled 24 points and Canada racked up 22 more. They also had a major effect on defense, containing ASU’s perimeter shooting to just 11 percent.
Up Next: The Sun Devils will hit the road for the Pac-12 tournament in Seattle, Washington which starts up on March 3. All games can be watched on the Pac-12 network.
