Feb. 21, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - Junior Carrie Buckner turned in a season-high 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Arizona State past Oregon State 73-60 in Pac-10 play Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Sun Devils improved to 17-8 overall and 11-5 in the Pac-10 and won their fourth straight home in the team's regular-season home finale. Arizona State finishes the regular season with a 13-1 record at Wells Fargo Arena, tying the school record with13 home wins for the third consecutive season and setting the ASU mark for home winning percentage in a season (.928).
Buckner scored five points in an 8-0 run for the Sun Devils after the Beavers (14-11, 8-8 Pac-10) had closed its deficit to 63-56 with 4:42 remaining.
Sophomore Kristen Kovesdy added 15 points and five rebounds for Arizona State.
Senior Leilani Estavan had 22 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Oregon State. Senior Krystal Turner had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Beavers.
Buckner, who is from Corvallis, Ore., made 6 of 8 field goals and added four assists as Arizona State completed a season sweep of the Oregon schools. The Beavers, which had won four of their last six coming into the game, lost both of their games on the Arizona trip.
The first half stayed close with ASU building a seven-point advantage midway through the period, going up 25-18 with 7:02 to play after junior Betsy Boardman completed a three-point play with a lay-up and a free throw. Oregon State, however, scored the next seven points over the next three minutes, including five by Estavan, to tie the game at 25. After two more ties, the Sun Devils scored the final four points of the game to take a 33-29 halftime advantage.
In the second half, ASU scored the first seven points of the half to take a 40-29 lead with 18:19 to play and led by as many as 15 later in the half. Oregon State put together a 13-3 run to pull within seven points, 63-56 with 4:42 to play, on a lay-up by senior Brina Chaney. Chaney drew a foul on the next OSU possession but missed both free throws with 4:14 left. Buckner later grabbed her 10th rebound, made a short basket and then followed that with a three-pointer with 2:14 left to give Arizona State a 68-56 lead. Chaney was held to four points, seven under her average.
In addition to her 15 points and 11 rebounds, which was the second double-double of her career, Buckner also turned in a game-high four assists, while junior Betsy Boardman had nine points and three assists for ASU.
Arizona State is 10-0 when scoring more than 70 points this season. The Sun Devils shot 52.1 percent from the field in the game (25-48) and outrebounded the Beavers 34-26 in the game.
ASU also honored the team's lone senior, forward Jen Albert, prior to the game. Albert is a two-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection who played in 10 games this season before suffering a season-ending ACL tear at the end of December.
The Sun Devils wrap up the Pac-10 regular season next week, traveling to Washington and Washington State on Feb. 26 and 28, respectively. ASU will travel to the Pac-10 Tournament March 5-8 in San Jose, Calif.
Arizona State is one of 16 on-campus sites for the 2004 NCAA First and Second Rounds March 20 & 22 at Wells Fargo Arena, and if the Sun Devils earn an NCAA postseason bid, the team will play at home for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Both of next week's games can be heard locally on ASU's flagship station, NBC 1190 AM, or via the internet at www.thesundevils.com with Vince Marotta calling the action.