Photo: Jack Simon (WCSN)
TEMPE – Seconds after the buzzer sounded, Arizona State head coach Molly Miller turned around and started waving her arms wildly at the crowd to fire them up.
ASU’s first-year head coach slapped fives with every fan courtside and led “A-S-U” chants in the student section with Sparky holding a pitchfork glittering on the back of her jacket. The first matchup of her Territorial Cup history belonged to Miller and the Sun Devils.
ASU (18-4, 5-4 Big 12) pulled out a gritty 68-61 win over its archrival, Arizona (10-10, 1-8 Big 12), with the action throughout the game unfolding akin to a classic boxing bout. Both teams threw haymakers from the outset, and it was fitting that a defensive slugfest was decided on that end of the court.
With 43 seconds ticking away and ASU up 64-61, Arizona guard Kamryn Kitchen dribbled the ball on the left wing when senior guard Gabby Elliott snatched it away from her. A foul and two free throws later, the Sun Devils had effectively iced out the game – and the Territorial Cup.
“I wanted the ball because I went for it,” Elliott said. “But to actually end up with it and get the foul, I knew, ‘Okay, game is secure. I can make a couple free throws. We can breathe a little bit more.’”
From the jump ball, both teams’ intensity was on display. Yet, ASU seemed to sprint out of the locker room with an extra jolt of energy.
The Sun Devils turned six Arizona turnovers into 16 points in the first quarter, anticipating passes and setting up easy transition opportunities.
Those baskets mattered because of ASU’s frequently stagnant half-court offense that too often resulted in aimless passes around the perimeter. The Wildcats blitzed the Sun Devils’ ball screens early to varied levels of success but ASU’s preparation before the game helped it adjust towards the end.
“We had that short roll when they trapped, and then we were able to play out of it,” Miller said. “We did have a theme, because we knew they were going to kind of junk it up a little bit … so we said ‘Keep calm, be strong and find a friend’. Someone’s going to be open.”
Despite Miller’s mantra, the Maroon and Gold’s inefficiency continued to be an issue. ASU shot just 30 percent from the field in the second half and made only one shot from beyond the arc, but in those moments of static offense, the free throw line was its saving grace.
ASU’s shooting struggles have let it down in recent road performances, but the Sun Devils had a season-best night at the charity stripe, making 16 in the second half and going 19-21 (90.5 percent) overall.
A 13-0 Arizona run to open the second half and give the Wildcats a 39-33 advantage could’ve opened up the floodgates for the Sun Devils to crumble in front of their home crowd, but the Maroon and Gold punched right back with a 17-10 run to close the period.
“We’ll go on droughts where we don’t score,” Miller said. “This team’s nature is to get stops, so if we go on droughts where we don’t score, we have to prevent the other team from getting back-to-back buckets…so kind of compartmentalizing the game a little bit. There’s not a seven-point play that can bring you back in the game.”
Elliott’s 22 led ASU, and it was her 8-8 mark from the line that proved to be pivotal in the game’s final moments. Supporting their leading scorer were junior forward McKinna Brackens and sophomore center Heloisa Carrera, who both put up double-doubles.
Brackens’ 13-point, 10-rebound outing and Carrera’s 12 and 10 illustrated a commitment to creating extra possessions when the basket seemingly had a lid on it. The Sun Devils secured eight more offensive rebounds than their counterparts, which led to 11 more shots, opportunities that were crucial in a low-scoring game.
ASU’s grit defensively keeps it in games, but it’s the offensive consistency that will determine its ceiling. A singular win against Arizona can only go so far. A rematch at McKale Center in Tucson looms on February 14.
“Hopefully they bring a little bit more (fans) because they gone need it,” Elliott said.
