Arizona State women's basketball couldn't find an answer against Kansas State's 3-point shooting in the loss on Sunday, Feb. 1.
Arizona State women’s basketball hung with Kansas State for the opening 10 minutes.
The Sun Devils (18-5, 5-5), however, crumbled in the second quarter and were never able to take the lead from there, losing 74-67 to an efficient Wildcats team on Sunday, Feb. 1, at Desert Financial Arena.
ASU allowed a Nastja Claessens 3-pointer to start the game, but McKinna Brackens stole a pass from Kansas State's Gina Garcia and went coast to coast to ignite an 11-6 run to give the Sun Devils a brief lead.
But KSU (12-11, 5-5) used its 3-point shooting to gain an edge over ASU, with Claessens and Taryn Sides combining to hit 7 of 10 from long range in the contest.
There were a few times when the Sun Devils let it fly, but they were outmatched by the Wildcats’ shooters, who hit 7 of 9 from beyond the arc (77.8%) in the first half. Four players had two or more 3-pointers.
Elliott tried to stimulate the perimeter shooting with three 3-pointers, but Kansas State outshot ASU 60% (12-of-20) to 21.7% (5-of-23) from 3. Elliott’s 18 points and five rebounds complemented Brackens’ 20 points and six rebounds.
“I don’t know if we’re going to up that (3-point shooting) percentage dramatically in the next month or so, so we’ve got to rely on our defense," coach Molly Miller said. "Sixty-seven (points) should’ve been enough to win this game. We cannot allow this team to score 74 points.
"The defensive stuff, we can improve on. I don’t know if I can magically have a player shoot 5 percent better right now. But the defense is where we have to create our offense.”
The Sun Devils were disrupting the Wildcats on the defensive end early in the second quarter, but KSU's zone coverage in the post limited Brackens to one point and one shot attempt. The Wildcats eventually found their shots and took an 11-point halftime lead.
The Sun Devils struggled to find a response after halftime. Instead of coming out with renewed energy, ASU allowed a 14-0 run and went down by as many as 24 points.
There were glimpses of the ASU team that’s known for its strong late-game finishes. Jyah LoVett and Brackens found the right spots and helped ASU finish the third with a 12-2 run.
Elliott’s 3-pointer made it a single-digit deficit for the first time since late in the second quarter with 3:28 left in the game, but ASU squandered the opportunity and allowed the Wildcats to counter.
Both Miller and Brackens said a lack of focus became an issue, especially since the Sun Devils scouted KSU's 3-point shooting. Once ASU allowed a transition 3-pointer for KSU's first points, Miller knew there would be issues.
"I felt like we practiced communication all week and finding each other in transition," Brackens said. "The lack of focus, that's on us."
The Sun Devils will close the homestand with Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m. The Cowgirls (18-5, 7-3) defeated Arizona 88-69 in Tucson on Feb. 1.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU women's basketball unable to stop Kansas State
Category: General Sports
