Sun Devils Show They Can Play Scrappy in Win Over Tough McNeese Squad

Photo: Scott Russomano/WCSN

Arizona State women’s basketball hasn’t opened a season 9-0 since 1991. The Sun Devils’ matchup with McNeese State felt like a throwback to that era, with physical play, tough drives, and a steady stream of points in the paint.

The Sun Devils were able to take care of business at their “home away from home”, Mullett Arena in Tempe, winning 57-47 against a tough McNeese squad.

“[McNeese is] scrappy,” head coach Molly Miller said. “They come with doubles. They fight, get around. That was a good defensive fight.”

It took the Sun Devils some time to adjust to their opponent’s hard-nosed identity, starting the game with six turnovers and only four points in the first five minutes.

Despite the slow start, ASU was able to recover in the second quarter, with 23 points in the period, 14 of them in the paint.

All the Sun Devils needed to bounce back was a pep talk from their coach in between quarters.

“(Molly) just told us to settle in,” junior forward McKinna Brackens said. “And I feel like we did that.”

Brackens perfectly countered the Cowgirls’ aggressive play with her own scrappy mentality. She totalled 14 points and 15 rebounds, a career high on the glass.

“I knew that they were going to be very physical and handsy on defense,” Brackens said. “So just to take pressure off my teammates, especially Gabby, with her being our leading scorer, I knew that I needed to do my part.”

The game’s gritty playstyle led to both teams trash-talking one another and certain players exhibiting some swagger and confidence on the court because of it.

In the middle of the third quarter, graduate guard Gabby Elliott was guarding a McNeese Tyreona Sibley on the perimeter. Elliott turned her back to Sibley while she still had the ball, giving her a wide-open three-point shot. Sibley’s shot clanged off the left side of the rim and fell into Elliott’s awaiting arms. Elliott took the ball coast-to-coast, scoring on a mid-range jumper. She finished the game with a game-high 19 points.

“I feel like it’s a little bit of me,” Elliott said. “I’m from Detroit. Swag is something I bring with me.”

McNeese’s physical play led to plenty of free throw chances for ASU. Despite a season that has seen the Sun Devils shoot a disappointing 63 percent from the stripe, they were able to capitalize on their free throw attempts, shooting a season-best 77 percent. Brackens led the team in free-throw percentage, going 5-6 at the line.

The Sun Devils don’t have too much time to cherish this special victory, as they have a short turnaround, facing San Francisco on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., just around 15 hours after their game against McNeese ended.

Even though ASU doesn’t have as much time as it would like to recover and watch film, it will still bring every ounce of energy and intensity it needs on the court on Saturday.

The Sun Devils’ game against McNeese showed that they can match any opponent’s pace and physicality, and still come out with a win. They look to continue their fiery start and make history against San Francisco as the first ASU women’s basketball team to start 10-0.