(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
Quinn Dornstauder has been a dominant force for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The sophomore out of Saskatchewan stands at 6-foot-4 with long arms, and the strength to out muscle nearly anyone she finds herself matched up against.
Last year, as a freshman, she resided in the bench role, playing in 27 games and averaging just 2.6 points per contest. She was simply behind in terms of skill and basketball IQ in comparison to her fellow freshmen Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos. Who both were able to snag starting frontcourt spots in their first year of colligate basketball.
But lately, something seems to have clicked for the young Canadian.
Against Illinois State, Quinn was an absolute monster. She captured her career high for points scored with 19, grabbed five rebounds, and was able to impact the game on the defensive end by sending away a couple of shots.
It was by far her best game as a Sun Devil, and she flashed the potential that Sun Devil fans have been waiting to see since she arrived in Tempe.
However, there was still a question of whether or not this type of game from Dornstauder was a fluke. Keep in mind Illinois State entered that game without a win to their name, and ASU physically and athletically overwhelmed the Red Birds as the Sun Devils went on to win by a laughable 89-44 final score.
So tonight was her chance to prove that her coming out party in Normal, Illinois was no joke, and that she could truly become a key factor for the Sun Devils this year on their quest to return to the big dance in March.
And it looks like she’s going to be just that.
Dournstauder was able to cause havoc in the low post on both sides of the floor, hitting defenders with an array of post moves and drives to the basket on the offensive side. And defensively she was able to consistently get a hand in the face of Lehigh’s shooters and get good positioning down low to crash the boards.
She finished the day with 12 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes played off the bench. Not quite the level of efficiency as her 19-point outbreak last game, but still a fantastic showing off the bench.
The Sun Devils ended up defeating Lehigh by 20 points, and Quinn received the honor of ringing the victory bell after another impressive performance.
