(TEMPE, AZ) Jaddan Simmons scored a game-high 17 points to go with four steals and four assists in the Sun Devil women’s basketball team’s 70-55 win over UTSA on Monday night.
Jalyn Brown added 16 points in her Sun Devil debut while Maggie Besselink and Trayanna Crisp contributed 10 points each for the Sun Devils, who tied last season’s highest point total in a half on their way to a 49-23 halftime lead.
“I am so proud of this group,” ASU head coach Natasha Adair said following the game. “We talked before the game even started about who we are and creating an identity. Since June, we have been building our culture, our chemistry, our comradery, and you all got to see a glimpse of that today. We talk about being that defensive team that’s disruptive, that was the tone that we wanted to set coming out of the locker room and we did so.”
ASU’s defense helped set the stage for a 16-0 run in the first quarter as it held the Roadrunners without a point for a stretch that lasted nearly six minutes. Simmons (nine points) and Besselink (six points) combined for 15 points in the frame.
During one stretch in the first half, the Sun Devils connected on 10 of 13 shots. By the conclusion of the magnificent display of shooting, ASU had double the points of its opponents after Sandra Magolico’s layup gave ASU a 38-19 lead with 6:38 left in the second quarter.
The Sun Devils made nine triples in the game with Besselink and Brown knocking down a trio of triples each. ASU went 50 percent (6-12) from long range in the first half and shot 51.5 percent overall during the first 20 minutes. The Roadrunners managed just 32 percent during the same 20 minutes.
In the first half alone, the Sun Devils scored 20 points off of USTA’s 14 turnovers. Simmons (13 points) and Brown (12 points) combined for just over half of ASU’s 49 first-half points.
Welcome Back, Maggie
The performance turned in by Besselink in Monday’s win was equal parts effective and inspirational. Besselink, who missed last season due to injury and had not played in a game since Feb. 6, 2022, was not only in the starting lineup in her first game back but also played a major role in igniting ASU’s offense after hitting back-to-back triples in the first quarter.
“And Maggie, welcome back Maggie,” Adair said after seeing Besselink in a Sun Devil uniform for the first time. “I am going to clap my hands because we have been waiting for her and she has worked hard to get back on the court. She was a spark right out of the gate. If we can take this and build on this, it is going to be a very special season.”
Added Besselink, “It was amazing to be back with my team, playing, being on the court, putting on the jersey for like the first time in forever. The biggest thing is I knew I had my teammates’ back and they had my back and then I could look at the coaches and they’d be like, ‘You’re good, calm down. It’s ok,’ It was really fun.”
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The Sun Devils return to action on Friday (6 p.m. MST) when they host Montana State. Click here to purchase tickets for the program’s annual Salute to Service game.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Steve Rodriguez
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