TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior Reili Richardson scored a team-high 17 points and added six assists to become the school’s all-time career assists leader in the No. 22 Arizona State women’s basketball team’s 72-68 win over Washington on Sunday.
Richardson, who led ASU with 22 points in its 62-59 win over Washington State on Friday, had five of her six assists in the fourth quarter while helping the Sun Devils (18-8, 8-6 Pac-12) maintain the advantage they had on the scoreboard for nearly 35 minutes of the game. Richardson (539 career assists) passed former Sun Devil all-time great Briann January (538 assists/2006-09) after finding teammate Ja’Tavia Tapley for a layup with 4:03 remaining in the game.
Fellow seniors Tapley (13 points), Jamie Ruden (12 points) and Kiara Russell (nine points) combined for 34 points as the Sun Devils completed a season sweep of both Washington schools.
ASU’s ability to not only grab offensive rebounds (had twice as many as Washington/16-8), but convert them into points (20-0 advantage in second chance points) were both important factors in the win. Five Sun Devils had multiple offensive boards with Jayde Van Hyfte and Richardson leading the way with three apiece.
Seven different Sun Devils –Tapley (four points), Richardson (three points), Eboni Walker(three points), Russell (two points), Van Hyfte (two points Ruden (two points), Taya Hanson(two points) – scored in the first quarter to help the Sun Devils get out to an 18-10 lead. The two teams played on relatively even terms for the first five minutes. With ASU down 9-8, Ruden scored on a layup that started a 10-1 run to close out the quarter. Richardson capped the run with a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left.
Ruden made the first basket of the second quarter to give ASU its first double-digit lead of the game, 20-10. The Huskies (11-14, 3-11) used a 7-1 run to get back within four points midway through the period. The Sun Devils would go on to make their last four shots of the half, the last two by Russell (jumper and a layup in the last 39 seconds) to give ASU a 34-26 lead at the break.
Ryan’s jumper early in the third quarter gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 38-27. The Sun Devils would match that lead two more times in the quarter but the Huskies closed the gap to six points going into the final quarter. Richardson had a pair of triples and would go on to score half of ASU’s 16 points in the quarter.
The Huskies eventually got within three points, but Ruden answered with a triple to put ASU back up by six, 60-54 with 5:39 remaining.
Amber Melgoza, who had a game-high 18 points, got the Huskies within two points with 15 seconds left, but Washington would not get any closer as Iris Mbulito hit two free throws on the opposite end to clinch the win.
This week the Sun Devils go on the road to face Colorado (Friday at 7 p.m. MST) and Utah (Sunday at 12 p.m. MST).
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics
