(Tempe, AZ) The Molly Miller era began tonight at Desert Financial Arena. Miller a very successful coach at Grand Canyon University to a 32-3 record and NCAA Tournament appearance. Last summer, Athletics Director Graham Rossini just had to look twenty miles to the West to find what this program needed.
The Sun Devils retooled their roster from last season adding McKInna Brackens (UNLV), Gabby Elliott (Penn State), Last-Tear Poa (LSU). In addition. Marley Washenitz, Acacia Hayes and Jordan Jones will all contribute this season.
The Coppin State Eagles came in having played the Sun Devils in December of 2024, winning 74-68.
The Eagles were projected to finish sixth in the MEAC in the preseason coaches poll.
They competed in last year’s WNIT Tournament.
New head coach Darell Mosley who spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at ASU. His current roster is comprised of fourteen new players. Leading the newcomers was Kaila Morris (Troy), Jahcelyn Hartfield (North Texas) and Skylar Barnes (Southeast Missouri State). Mosley also has five freshman on the team.
Photo – BIll McCulloch/602 Sports Talk
First Quarter
Both teams scored on their first possession, ASU on a give and go and Coppin St. on an outside jumper.
Early on, Devils’ Washenitz was fouled on a three point attempt and calmly sunk all three free throws.
Midway through the quarter, the Sun Devils tried a three quarter court trapping press which the Eagles broke easily for a layup.
Neither team shot the ball well early as Arizona State was just 1-8 at the media timeout and Coppin State wasn’t much better hitting 2-5. The Devils held a slight lead 6-4 at the 4:36 mark.
ASU’s defense was ball hawking and while still staying in their press off made baskets and out of bounds plays.
Miller’s offense was all about ball movement and screening away from the ball.
First game jitters were very apparent for both squads as the quarter ended with a 16-12 lead for the Devils.
Second Quarter
The Eagles stole and inbound pass to start the quarter, but ASU game right back with a trey by Washenitz.
The tempo picked up in the second quarter but still neither team could get into an offensive flow. Midway through the quarter, the Sun Devis led 23-16. The shooting percentages were still way under what both coaches would expect. ASU 39% and Coppin State 33%.
The Sun Devils did get to the charity stripe often in the first half hitting 8-12 at the 3:20 point in the first half.
The Eagles went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter to pull with two at 27-25, but Last-Tear Poa followed her miss down low to tip it in at the buzzer and a 29-25 Devils’ lead.
Halftime
Arizona State shot 10-32 (31.3%) and being the first game with basically a new team from last season, things will take time, They moved the ball well and played very solid defense until the last couple of minutes of the second quarter.
Coppin State showed they could hang with the Sun Devils as they never fell behind very far. The Eagles stayed close with their three point shooting.
Third Quarter
Coppin St. went on an 11-3 run to start the second half and took the lead 36-32 at the 6:19 mark.
The shooting woes continued for the Sun Devils opening up 2-6. Coppin State adjusted and cut off the passing angles the Devils had in the first half. The team seemed a bit disjointed often standing around and confused on the Eagles defense.
ASU still with back court pressure, but backed off the press to get back on defense. Offensively, the Devils went on a 4-0 spurt but couldn’t sustain the flow.
Missed shots down low in the post prevented ASU from coming back and putting more pressure on the Eagles defense.
Miller put the press back on to give her team a jump start, but all they could do was to trade baskets with Coppin State.
Sun Devils’ Elliott hit the final basket of the quarter on a three foot floater with two seconds left. ASU 40 Coppin State 43.
ASU only scored 11 points the entire quarter as the Eagles ended up with 18 points.
Fourth Quarter
Sun Devils began the final quarter dumping the ball down low for an easy layup to draw within
one point 43-42. An Eagles third turnover in two minutes allowed Arizona State to regain the lead 46-43.
Coppin State answered with a three pointer to tie the game 46-46.
Off another Eagle turnover, Washenitz sank a three pointer from the top of the key and the Devils were finally in sync 51-46 forcing a Coppin St, timeout with 6:37 left in the game.
Eagles’ Henry tied the score back up with bomb from beyond the arc 51-51.
Back came the Devils with 6-1 run off of good defense causing another Coppin State timeout at 4:05 left.
The Sun Devils started driving the ball and scoring off high percentage shots to take a 61-53 lead with 1:48 left. The lead extended to ten points off a Washenitz jumper that had a kind roll for the basket 63-53 now with 1:11 left and an Eagle timeout.
After the timeout, Coppin St. had no answer for the pound it down low Devils using their size and a 65-53 advantage now with under a minute left.
Arizona State won 67-53, but it wasn’t as easy as the score looked.
Tonight’s attendance was 4,026.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
Wrap Up
The first game of the season was sloppy as to be expected. Two teams with totally new rosters had glimpses of good play and at other times were out of sync.
ASU has some high energy players and it will take time to gel with each 0ther, but the pieces are in place to have a successful season. The Sun Devils scored 27 points in the final quarter after scoring 29 points in the first half.
A coupe of bright spots were the 18 offensive rebounds and 37 points off turnovers. Devils led 28:59 of the game.
Up Next
Another Eagles team comes to Tempe on Saturday, November 8th as Miller’s team will host Eastern Washington University at 2 p.m.
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