Jan. 5, 2008
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Dymond Simon scored 14 of her season-best 20 points in the second half to help No. 24 Arizona State overcome a 14-point second-half deficit in the Sun Devils' 69-60 win over Oregon State on Saturday night.
Simon was one of three Sun Devils who scored in double figures. Fellow guard Reagan Pariseau scored a season-best 12 points on 4-6 shooting, including 2-2 from three-point range and forward Lauren Lacey added 13 points for ASU (10-5, 4-0 Pac-10), which in addition to winning its fourth consecutive contest is off to its best ever start in Pac-10 play.
Senior guard Ashley Allen led the Beavers with 22 points, however scored only six of those points in the second half. Oregon State (8-6, 1-2 Pac-10), which shot 63 percent in the first half, converted only seven-of-18 (38.9 percent) field goal attempts in the second half while the Sun Devils shot 52 percent (13-25) in the final 20 minutes.
Leading by 10 at halftime, the Beavers came out and scored six of the first eight points in the second half to lead 44-30 with 17:12 remaining. Following an ASU timeout Simon hit a three, which began a 22-6 run for the Sun Devils to put them ahead (52-50) for the first time since a 3-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game. Simon scored eight during the ASU run and put the Sun Devils ahead for good, 54-52, with a pair of free throws with 7:22 remaining. Those free throws began a 17-8 ASU scoring run to close out the game.
For ASU, it was their second double-digit comeback in its last three games. The Sun Devils began the week with a 66-63 win over USC on Sunday in which ASU outscored the Women of Troy 44-30 in the second half to overcome an 11-point halftime deficit.
The Sun Devils found themselves playing uphill for much of the first half trailing by as many as 11. The Beavers used a 13-4 run early on to take a 15-7 lead. ASU would get as close as four points midway through the first half (19-15) after back-to-back baskets by junior guard Kate Engelbrecht and Pariseau. The Sun Devils could get no closer before intermission as the Beavers scored the next seven points to take their largest lead of the half before eventually going into the locker room with a 38-28 lead. Pariseau led ASU with seven points at the half. The Beavers were aided in the first half by a 19-10 advantage on the boards and 11 second-chance points compared to only two for ASU.
The Sun Devils return to action next Saturday (4 p.m.) when they travel to Tucson to take on Arizona.