ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils improve to 2-0 with win over Fresno State

(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)

The ASU women’s basketball team improved to 2-0 in its young season with a road win over the Fresno State Bulldogs 81-49 at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday night.

Throughout the game, the Sun Devils broke down the Bulldogs’ zone defense. ASU finished the game shooting 56 percent from the field.

Among some of the standouts for ASU was junior center Charnea Johnson-Chapman. Last game, Johnson-Chapman tied her career-high in points by tallying eight.

On Wednesday night, Johnson-Chapman doubled her career-high with 16 points on 7-9 shooting.

In ASU’s home opener against the University of Texas at San Antonio, every Sun Devil picked up points except for sophomore center Jamie Ruden.

Ruden participated in warm-ups, but she did not partake in ASU’s 74-42 victory due to a back injury. Ruden missed all of Pac-12 play last year with a foot injury, but she returned in the postseason to provide productive minutes for the Sun Devils.

After the game, ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne mentioned how Ruden was “game-to-game”, and the team would take its time with working her back onto the floor.

However, Ruden would return to the hardwood for Wednesday night’s contest with Fresno State, and she did not disappoint. Ruden picked up 10 points on 5-6 shooting in an efficient performance.

Going into the half, ASU led the Bulldogs 39-23. While the Sun Devils had a promising lead, they would come out of the locker room in the third quarter and drop the hammer.

ASU outscored Fresno State 28-10 en route to a 67-33 lead at the end of 30 minutes of play.

Along with Johnson-Chapman’s career-high, ASU redshirt junior guard Courtney Ekmark helped fuel the Sun Devils attack.

After shooting 6-of-13 from the field in her ASU debut, Ekmark came out with a fury against the Bulldogs, scoring 14 points while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field.

“Courtney Ekmark is used to a big role,” Turner Thorne said after the UTSA game. “I think she has just been chomping at the bit (to play).”

Ekmark is a transfer from UCONN who is originally from Arcadia, Arizona. She had to sit out all of last season due to NCAA rules, and two games into this season, the new addition to the Sun Devil lineup looks calm and comfortable back in her home state.

In addition to Ekmark, junior forward Kiana Ibis followed her 16 point performance against UTSA with another double figure game. Ibis dropped 10 points, and hauled in five rebounds in Wednesday night’s win.

All 11 players on ASU’s roster saw action during Wednesday night’s game, and after a short, one-game road trip to central California, the Sun Devils will now return to Tempe for back-to-back home games on Saturday and Sunday against Sacramento State and Colgate University.

Saturday’s matchup with Sacramento State will mark ASU’s third annual “Keep the Beat” game, which is a campaign to strive for a healthy lifestyle and Heart Health Awareness.

Tipoff between ASU and Sacramento State is slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.

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