(Cancun, Mexico) Jaddan Simmons (16 points), Jade Loville (15 points) and Taya Hanson (10 points) combined for 41 points to help the Sun Devil women’s basketball team close out the Cancun Challenge with an impressive 58-43 win over Fordham on Saturday.
Simmons (6-8 FGs, 2-2 3FGs), Loville (6-7 FGs/1-1 3FGs) and Hanson (4-7 FGs/2-3 3FGs) combined to shoot 72 percent from the floor (16-22 FGs), including 83 percent (5-6) from 3-point range.
Mael Gilles, who came into Saturday’s game averaging 10.3 rebounds in ASU’s previous three games, grabbed 11 boards to help ASU outrebound Fordham 36-28. Gilles also added added six points and tied a career high with five assists.
“I am so proud of this team,” ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “Mael, what a warrior she is playing 34 minutes. And then Jaddan Simmons is continuing to play better and better and it was nice to get Jade Loville going. Everybody contributed and it was a great team win.”
Defensively, the Sun Devils (3-4) held Fordham (4-3) 23 points below its scoring average and allowed the Rams to shoot only 30.4 percent, nearly nine percentage points below its mark of 39.2 percent coming into the game.
“I thought we played Sun Devil defense for 40 minutes,” Turner Thorne said. (Because of it being our third game in three days), I was thinking we might need to play more zone and I underestimated us. I think we did a good job mixing it in a little bit just to keep them on their toes.”
After the Rams scored 14 of the game’s first 21 points, Hanson (3-pointer), Maggie Besselink(layup) and Simmons (layup) combined to score the last seven points of the opening frame to knot the game at 14-14 after 10 minutes.
A 3-pointer by Gabriela Bosquez midway through the second quarter ignited a 9-2 Sun Devil run to end the half and give the Sun Devils a 30-23 lead at the break.
ASU led by as many as 12 in the third quarter but the Rams got within eight in the first minute of the final period.
The Sun Devils answered with an 8-0 run to double their lead to 16 after a bucket by Loville gave ASU a 50-34 advantage with 5:34 remaining.
Simmons, who was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Cancun Challenge’s Mayan Division, gave ASU its biggest lead after knocking down her second 3-pointer of the game to lift ASU to a 55-38 lead with 2:53 remaining.
Although the first month of the season presented ASU with its share of challenges, Turner Thorne said she believes the tough stretch will pay dividends as the season progresses.
“I think we learned a lot about ourselves this week,” Turner Thorne said. “November was difficult with a high level of competition. Had I known we wouldn’t have our full roster then I probably would not have had a such difficult schedule the first month of the season. I do think going through this difficult stretch will serve us well later in the season.”
The Sun Devils return home next week to host the annual ASU Classic. Doubleheaders will take place on both Saturday and Sunday with ASU playing in the first game each day. On Saturday, ASU will face UTSA at 1 pm (ASU Live Stream/1060 AM KDUS) with Colorado State vs. Harvard approximately 30 minutes after ASU-UTSA. On Sunday, ASU will face Harvard at 12 p.m. (Pac-12 Arizona/1060 AM KDUS) with Colorado State vs. UTSA approximately 30 minutes after ASU-Harvard.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Steve Rodriguez
