ASU Women’s Basketball: The Sun Devils rode a dominant first half to a close victory over Stanford.

(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)

Arizona State has been dominant throughout Pac-12 play this season, displaying efficient offense and stout defense en route to five consecutive double-digit conference victories. The Sun Devils continued their winning ways in a 60-57 win over reigning Pac-12 champion, and alma-mater of ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne, Stanford, narrowly avoiding an incredible Cardinal comeback and extending their winning streak to 13 games. The Sun Devils never trailed in this one, but it was a nail-biter nonetheless. This was ASU’s first victory at Maples Pavilion since 1984, their only win ever at Stanford before today.

The win was a huge statement for no. 13 Arizona State (17-1) due to the fact that Stanford has won the Pac-12 championship each of the last 15 seasons. The win over the Cardinal has the potential to boost the Sun Devils into the top 10 ranked teams in the nation. ASU can attribute their rise to national prominence to a bevy of capable scorers and improved bench play from players like Quinn Dornstauder and Eliza Normen. Dornstauder was especially impressive crashing the boards today, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.

Stanford entered today’s matchup on a seven-game winning streak and looked to be back on track after a 4-4 non-conference skid, but just couldn’t quite close the gap against ASU. In the first half, the Cardinal offense wasn’t able to hit the shots that they’re used to making, which caused them to fall way behind, and although they mounted an amazing effort to close the gap, they just weren’t quite able to overcome the 17-point halftime deficit.

Player of the Game: Promise Amukamara

Promise Amukamara, the lone senior on this ASU roster, showed why she is considered the on-the-court leader of this Sun Devil squad. Amukamara played incredible defense, but was even more impressive on the offensive end, scoring 17 points to go along with seven rebounds. Amukamara showed incredible hustle, flying all over the court to grab long rebounds. But Amukamara’s play went far beyond the stat sheet. Throughout the entirety of the game, she kept her motor running, setting up opportunities for ASU to stay ahead and winning the 50-50 balls that the Sun Devils needed. With an impressive season so far, it would be tough to say that this was Amukamara’s best statistical game, but she definitely showed her talent as a leader.

Stat of the Night: Rebounds

The Sun Devils absolutely dominated the glass throughout the game, doubling Stanford’s rebounding total 44-22, including a 24-10 difference in the first half. Sophie Brunner and Quinn Dornstauder tied for the team-high, bringing down eight rebounds each. Amukamara also chipped in, tallying seven rebounds herself. This monstrous rebounding advantage was huge for ASU, as they were able to create second-chance opportunities and burn more time off the clock as the close game wore down in the second half.

Biggest Disappointment: Turnovers

Arizona State was clicking on all cylinders in the first half, putting up 39 points and only giving up five turnovers, but Stanford dialed up some impressive defense and managed to force 12 second-half ASU turnovers, a big reason why this game came down to the wire. Arizona State played so well in the first half that they were able to weather the storm, but that might not be the case in the future. The Sun Devils will need to focus on holding on to the ball if they want to continue on this winning streak.

What’s Next:

The Sun Devils travel back home to Tempe on Friday to take on the Oregon Ducks in the first of two matchups this season. Tip-off is at 11:00 a.m at Wells Fargo Arena.

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