ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils shrug off shaky start, topple Holy Cross

(Photo: Eliav Gabay/WCSN)

A confident Arizona State women’s basketball team didn’t let a slow start stop them from winning its seventh game in a row as they knocked off Holy Cross 63-33 in their final non-conference game of the season.

The Sun Devils opened with some sloppy play, giving up an early 6-0 run and falling behind 8-4 at the first media timeout.

ASU appeared to be bothered by a pesky 2-3 zone by the Crusaders. The Sun Devils struggled to penetrate and feed their open post players in the paint.

The 2-8 Crusaders found them themselves in front at the end of the quarter, leading the flustered Sun Devils 11-8.

It wasn’t long before ASU regained the lead on layup by senior forward Kelsey Moos with less than two minutes into the quarter.

The Sun Devils never looked back, going on a 11-0 run.

ASU sharpened their play on the court, returning to the formula that has made them so successful in recent weeks.

Sophomore forward Kianna Ibis lead the charge early, scoring seven of the Sun Devil’s first 21 points on 3-4 shooting.

The Sun Devils built a commanding lead possession by possession, closing out the half on top 27-13. ASU outscored their opponents 19-4 in the second quarter

ASU looked active on the court in the opening minutes of the second half, building on what they started to develop on the first half

The Sun Devils were fueled by points in the paint, expanding their lead to 18, despite only one made three-point basket three quarters in.

ASU established itself as the superior squad in the fourth quarter, stifling any hopes for a Holy Cross comeback and holding the Crusaders scoreless in the final four minutes.

Player of the Game: Sophie Brunner

The senior forward stepped into her patented leadership role, scoring 24 points on 5-8 shooting.

Biggest Concern: Three-point shooting

While not a major concern, The Sun Devils went a less than stellar 2-11 from behind the arc.

Stat of the Night: 28

The Sun Devils held their visiting opponents to only 28% percent shooting from the field thanks in part to stifling defense.

What’s Next:

The 9-2 Sun Devils will take a bit of a break, and then will play host to the Stanford Cardinal on December 30 at 4:00 MST. The game will be broadcasted on Pac-12 Network.

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