TEMPE – Being on the wrong end of a 20-6 run to start the second half proved to be the difference in the Sun Devil women's basketball team's 77-67 loss to BYU on Saturday. The contest was Sun Devil Women's Basketball's annual Black History Month game. The team debuted its "Honoring Black Excellence," uniforms in recognition of the special day.
Nevaeh Parkinson (17 points), Jalyn Brown and Tyi Skinner (13 points each) were the primary sources of scoring for the Sun Devils (8-15, 2-9 Big 12).
Skinner, Brown, Jazion Jackson and Makayla Moore tied for the team lead in rebounds with six. After tying her career high with five assists in ASU's last game at No. 24 Oklahoma State, Brown established a new career best with six on Saturday. Jackson (four) and Skinner (three) combined for seven of ASU's 10 steals and Moore provided ASU with seven bench points.
Nearly a third of ASU's points came from the foul line where the Sun Devils continued to display their remarkable accuracy connecting on 84 percent (21-25) of their attempts.
ASU's plus-13 advantage (21-8) in points at the charity stripe was offset by BYU's 3-point shooting where the Cougars (11-10, 2-9 Big 12) were plus-21 in points (27-7). Although BYU had more misses (16) from behind the arc than ASU had attempts (11), the numbers still ended up favoring the Cougars due to them almost doubling up the Sun Devils in 3-point FG percentage (36.0-18.2).
Six different Cougars hit triples with Kemery Congdon doing the most damage making 4 of 6 from long range. If not for the accuracy of Congdon (6-11 FGs), Emma Calvert (8-11) and Kambree Barber (7-9 FGs), who collectively shot 67 percent (21-31 FGs), the Cougars would have had difficulty finding points as the rest of the team shot only 26 percent (9-35 FGs).
ASU scored six of the last seven points of the opening quarter to lead BYU 13-12 after 10 minutes. Parkinson's field goal eight seconds into the second quarter, gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 15-12.
BYU answered with its first significant scoring run, 16-6, to take its biggest lead of the first half, 28-21, midway through the second quarter.
After Kennedy Basham (two free throws) and Moore (3-pointer) helped get ASU within a point, the Cougars scored the last points of the quarter to take a 34-31 lead to the locker room.
Although it seemed unlikely in the moment, the score at the half was the last time the contest was a one-possession game. Calvert's layup on the opening possession of the second half put the Cougars up 36-31. Congdon's 3-pointer with 4:28 left in third quarter completed a 20-6 BYU run to start the second half and gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game, 54-37.
As has been the case all season when faced with a big deficit, the Sun Devils fought until the very end. Jackson's two free throws early in the fourth quarter got ASU within single digits (60-51). A little more than a minute later, Parkinson's free throw made it an eight-point game.
Delaney Gibb's 3-pointer with 6:20 left once again gave BYU a double-digit lead (65-54) and started an unusual sequence that played out for the remainder of the game. Gibb's free throw with 2:57 remaining was the only time either team was able to string together points on separate possessions without the opposition scoring. Because of that, ASU was not able to get any closer than nine points and BYU was not able to extend its lead by more than 12 points.
ASU returns to action on Saturday (2 p.m. MST) when it travels to Tucson to face Arizona in the first of two meetings between the in-state rivals.
Celebrating Black Excellence ??
— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) February 1, 2025
As we celebrate Black History Month, we're excited to debut our new "Honoring Black Excellence," uniforms for tonight's BHM Game!#ForksUp /// #BHM pic.twitter.com/kLiBb6bs4i
Nevaeh Parkinson (17 points), Jalyn Brown and Tyi Skinner (13 points each) were the primary sources of scoring for the Sun Devils (8-15, 2-9 Big 12).
Skinner, Brown, Jazion Jackson and Makayla Moore tied for the team lead in rebounds with six. After tying her career high with five assists in ASU's last game at No. 24 Oklahoma State, Brown established a new career best with six on Saturday. Jackson (four) and Skinner (three) combined for seven of ASU's 10 steals and Moore provided ASU with seven bench points.
Nearly a third of ASU's points came from the foul line where the Sun Devils continued to display their remarkable accuracy connecting on 84 percent (21-25) of their attempts.
ASU's plus-13 advantage (21-8) in points at the charity stripe was offset by BYU's 3-point shooting where the Cougars (11-10, 2-9 Big 12) were plus-21 in points (27-7). Although BYU had more misses (16) from behind the arc than ASU had attempts (11), the numbers still ended up favoring the Cougars due to them almost doubling up the Sun Devils in 3-point FG percentage (36.0-18.2).
Six different Cougars hit triples with Kemery Congdon doing the most damage making 4 of 6 from long range. If not for the accuracy of Congdon (6-11 FGs), Emma Calvert (8-11) and Kambree Barber (7-9 FGs), who collectively shot 67 percent (21-31 FGs), the Cougars would have had difficulty finding points as the rest of the team shot only 26 percent (9-35 FGs).
ASU scored six of the last seven points of the opening quarter to lead BYU 13-12 after 10 minutes. Parkinson's field goal eight seconds into the second quarter, gave ASU its largest lead of the game, 15-12.
BYU answered with its first significant scoring run, 16-6, to take its biggest lead of the first half, 28-21, midway through the second quarter.
After Kennedy Basham (two free throws) and Moore (3-pointer) helped get ASU within a point, the Cougars scored the last points of the quarter to take a 34-31 lead to the locker room.
Although it seemed unlikely in the moment, the score at the half was the last time the contest was a one-possession game. Calvert's layup on the opening possession of the second half put the Cougars up 36-31. Congdon's 3-pointer with 4:28 left in third quarter completed a 20-6 BYU run to start the second half and gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game, 54-37.
As has been the case all season when faced with a big deficit, the Sun Devils fought until the very end. Jackson's two free throws early in the fourth quarter got ASU within single digits (60-51). A little more than a minute later, Parkinson's free throw made it an eight-point game.
Delaney Gibb's 3-pointer with 6:20 left once again gave BYU a double-digit lead (65-54) and started an unusual sequence that played out for the remainder of the game. Gibb's free throw with 2:57 remaining was the only time either team was able to string together points on separate possessions without the opposition scoring. Because of that, ASU was not able to get any closer than nine points and BYU was not able to extend its lead by more than 12 points.
ASU returns to action on Saturday (2 p.m. MST) when it travels to Tucson to face Arizona in the first of two meetings between the in-state rivals.