Sun Devils Get First Conference Win Against Colorado

(Photo: Elijah Longoria/WCSN)

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a trio of ghosts force Ebenezer Scrooge to confront his past, present and future.

Just four days from Christmas, the past, present and future of Arizona State women’s basketball came together to lead the charge against Colorado. The Sun Devils prevailed 79-63, extending their record to a perfect 14-0 and capturing the first Big 12 Conference win of the Molly Miller era.

With 6:30 left in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils led by a mere four points. Visiting Colorado was on the verge of a comeback, ready to spoil ASU’s undefeated season. But the inbound pass that followed turned the tables for ASU, propelling it to victory. 

Graduate guard Gabby Elliott received the inbound pass and attempted to drive into the post. Double-teamed by Buffaloes, she turned around to pass it to her freshman teammate, guard Amaya Williams, who looked open behind the three-point line. As soon as Williams handled the ball, a swarm of Colorado defenders closed in on her, forcing her to drive. 

As Williams tried to maneuver her way to the basket, Elliott was looping around, finding open space behind the arc. Williams dished the ball back to Elliott, who proceeded to knock down a clutch three-pointer. 

Freshman to sixth-year. Future to Present for a key play against a foe of the past. The connection sparked a 19-7 run by the Sun Devils and ultimately sealed their victory. 

Williams has been able to make an immediate impact as a freshman, with her best performance coming against Little Rock, where she led all scorers with 18 points.

In Sunday’s game, she scored 7 points in her 15 minutes on the court.

ASU’s 79 total points tied its fourth-highest scoring game of the season. At the red-hot pace of the Sun Devils’ explosive first quarter, it looked as though they were bound to hit triple digits. 

They scored 26 points in the first quarter, their highest mark of the season since their game against Santa Clara. And they opened a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, drained four three-pointers, and jumped out to a commanding 17-2 lead.

So far this season, ASU has been slow to get out of the gates but has made up for it with explosive second-and third-quarters. 

It was the contrary against the Buffaloes.

After their fiery start, the Sun Devils cooled off, posting their lowest second-quarter total since the season opener against Coppin State. The 13-point second quarter quickly erased the commanding lead they built in the first. Though still leading 39-31 at halftime, ASU had serious work to do in order to close out the game as it started.

In the second half, ASU couldn’t rely on the three-point shot as much as it could in the first. Colorado had amplified their already aggressive defense, beginning a full-court press. The Sun Devils weren’t getting the same open looks they had been getting.

They had to switch up the game plan.

Nearly every ASU possession ended in the post. The Sun Devils scored 14 points in the paint in the third quarter. Junior forward McKinna Brackens and sophomore forward Heloisa Carrera led the way with 10 combined points in the quarter. 

Brackens, despite coming off the bench, led the Sun Devils in scoring with 18 points.

As the Sun Devils kept getting buckets in the paint, the Buffaloes grew frustrated. Every possession turned physical. They forced 12 ASU turnovers in the second half. 

Colorado’s comeback felt imminent. It was then, in the middle of the fourth quarter, when Gabby Elliott turned the tide, hitting her clutch three-pointer and sending the Sun Devils on a run. 

As the Sun Devils kept finding ways to score in the paint, Colorado turned to fouling as a way to try to get back in the game. In theory, forcing ASU to shoot free throws seemed like a great strategy, as the Sun Devils had only shot 66 percent from the line up to that point.

Colorado fouled ASU relentlessly. Racking up eight personal fouls in the fourth quarter and fouling out two of their best players, freshman forward Logyn Greer and senior forward Jade Masogayo. 

The Buffaloes sent the Sun Devils to the line six times in the fourth quarter for a total of 12 shots. 

ASU made 11 of them. 

Sunday’s performance seemed to show that the Sun Devils’ non-conference record isn’t a fluke and that they can truly compete in the Big 12.

“We had a great non-conference,” Elliott said. But Sunday, she said, was like starting all over again. “And we are happy to finish 1-0 today.”

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