(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)
In a game that mirrored the style of Arizona State’s play during the 2017-18 season, the Sun Devils (5-2) defeated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (5-4), 70-52, to claim the ASU Classic Championship. Although Matilda Mossman’s Tulsa squad was able to hang around throughout the first half, the Sun Devils pulled away after leading by seven at the break.
The Sun Devils held a 21-19 lead after a back-and-forth first quarter, but head coach Charli Turner Thorne said she didn’t like what she saw in the first 10 minutes.
“I yelled at them [after the first quarter performance],” Turner Thorne said. “We were playing soft and we were letting them play to their strengths. We were letting the penetrator penetrate, we were letting the shooters shoot. But, we got more locked in after we saw them play to their strengths and that’s the sign of a great team.”
Following Turner Thorne’s verbal tirade, the Arizona State defense showed signs of growth over the final three quarters, as they held the Golden Hurricane to just 33 points for the remainder of the game. The 52 points allowed came on 33.9 percent shooting for a Tulsa squad that was picked to finish last in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll.
“I thought that was a good test for us,” Turner Thorne said. “[Tulsa is] a team that was just tough and feisty, that’ll work hard every possession.”
As has been the case throughout non-conference season, the Arizona State offensive attack provided balanced scoring. Kianna Ibis led the way for the Devils, scoring a game-high 14 points, but Robbi Ryan and Courtney Ekmark also added 12 points apiece.
Through the first seven games of the season, the Sun Devils have had just one 20-point scorer—a 20-point effort from Ibis in the Devils 88-85 win over Arkansas on Nov. 18.
“Next woman up mentality, instead of ‘Kianna you have to score 20 every night,’” Turner Thorne said. “She can… but if not, we’ve got other options which is fun.”
The orchestrator of that balanced attack was and continues to be junior guard Reili Richardson, who recorded a nine-point, seven-assist stat-line while limiting herself to just one turnover. Turner Thorne said Richardson’s offensive abilities, coupled with the potential to defend well, could make her one of the best point guard’s in the country.
“She’s got a great basketball IQ,” Turner Thorne said. “She really sees the game, understands the game, and has a ton of experience.”
“I just love how great of a passer Reili is,” Ibis said.
Ekmark, Richardson and Ibis were each named to the ASU Classic All-Tournament Team, with Ibis taking home Tournament MVP honors. Between the two wins over Louisiana Tech and Tulsa, the Sun Devils senior forward combined to score 27 points and grab 12 rebounds.
With the win, Arizona State improves to 5-2 on the season. The Sun Devils return to action Friday Nov. 7 with a home contest against Southern University at 6 p.m.
