(Las Vegas, NV) The kickoff game of the PAC-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament between the #5 Arizona State Sun Devils and the #12 Colorado Buffloes had Courtney Ekmark hitting a three pointer right off the rip followed by Kianna Ibis following with a two to take a quick 5-0 lead.
Colorado got on the board at the 6:49 mark with a nice turnaround jumper in the post by Mya Hollingshed to cut the lead 6-2.
Neither team started off shooting well as the eight total points showed at the first media timeout. Often times it takes a few minutes to acclimate a team to a new arena they haven’t ever played in. This is the first time the Women’s Tournament has been played in Vegas. Previous years it was held in Seattle, WA.
Out of the timeout Annika Jank hit one of two free throws for Colorado. Quiness Carlo-Do scored moments later to make it 6-5.
The Sun Devils came back with a bucket from Sophia Elenga. Charnea Johnson-Chapman put back an offensive rebound to double up the lead 10-5.
Reili Richardson came off the bench to pop a three pointer and a 13-5 lead for ASU.
Hollingshed finally got the Buffs back on the scoreboard with a nifty move inside off a couple of head fakes to to close out the first quarter and a Arizona State lead 13-7.
Sun Devils Robbie Ryan hits a three in the first minute of the second quarter as ASU seemed to have it going after the first quarter. Devils u 16-9.
This is an ASU team that only averages 66.2 points a game which was tenth in the conference. Subsequently, Colorado was directly under them at eleventh at 65 points a game.
Kiara Russell popped a three midway through the second quarter giving ASU a 20-9.
Colorado continued to have problems on the offensive end by not moving without the ball and no one hitting the glass on the offensive boards. With just under three minutes left in the first half, the Devils led 29-11.
The Buffs did go on a very modest 5-0 run to close out the half to trail 29-17.
ASU shot 10-26 for 38% while Colorado only made 7-16 for 27%. The Buffaloes went 1-9 from beyond the arc while the Sun Devils dialed up 5-14 from three point land. Robbie Ryan led ASU with nine points.
Annika Jank started the second half on a positive note canning a three followed by Emma Clark with a two and suddenly Colorado was back in the game trailing 29-22.
ASU was slow out of the locker room in the third quarter. Head Coach Charlie Turner-Thorn was forced to call a timeout with 5:24 left in the third quarter and ASU held scoreless in the second half but still leading 29-24.
At the media time out at the 4:37 mark, the Devils still hadn’t scored but Colorado didn’t have any points since the opening moments of the third quarter.
Ekmark and Alexis Robinson both threes to get the Devils back on the scoreboard but Colorado also kept pace only trailing 35-30 at the 2:44 mark.
Robnson and Ekmark both traded three point buckets as both teams finally heated up. Robinson followed up with three important free throws to cut the Devil’s lead to 38-36 and we finally had a close game.
Ekmark continued her hot outside shooting canning another three to put ASU back up by five 41-36.
Kennedy Leonard put Colorado only down by one with two free throws as the Buffaloes began to press Arizona State. Charleen Johnson-Chapman scored as time ran out in the quarter to lead 43-40.
Ekmark out of the timeout hit a long three six feet beyond the arc to put the Devils up 46-40 to start the final quarter.
Ibis was the recipient of a sweet back door cut which Richardson found her on a lob pass to score down low. ASU was still trying to pull away against the stubborn Buffs 48-42.
Colorado came out of the timeout and went right after the Devils with a half court trap that quickly forced a turnover.
The Sun Devils Richardson took it coast to coast off the press and scored while being fouled. She completed the three point play and the Devils were back up by nine 51-42 with six minutes left.
Colorado called a time out after Sophia Elena hit a shot falling to the ground and made her free throw putting ASU UP 54-42.
Caylao-Do tried to keep the Buffs close by driving hard to the hoop and scoring, 54-44.
Both teams traded baskets for a few possessions until Ekmark drained her sixth trey and finally put the nail in the coffin of Colorado up by fifteen 62-47.
Arizona State moved on to the quarter finals by beating Colorado and will face the #4 Bruins of UCLA tomorrow at 12:30 pm Arizona time.
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