ASU WBB: 25-ranked Sun Devils finish their road trip strong with victory over No. 24 Cal

They got the job done. Not the flashiest win, but a win nonetheless.

No. 25 Arizona State (15-7, 6-4 Pac-12) bounced back with a 57-42 road victory against the California Golden Bears (15-6, 6-4 Pac-12).

Although it was a low scoring game, the Sun Devils showed efficiency on defense while keeping their offense consistent as they led the entire game. ASU rebounded the ball well and also scored inside to put themselves ahead.

Arizona State shot 46 percent from the field and brought down 35 total rebounds. ASU was able to score 34 points in the paint which was another big contributor to its victory.

While ASU was scoring on all ends, its defense gave Cal the fits as well — holding the Golden Bears to 28 percent shooting from the floor. Arizona State also limited Cal to 10 bench points and 20 points inside.

Both ASU junior forwards, Kianna Ibis and Courtney Ekmark nearly each had a double-double. Ibis tallied 11 points and eight rebounds; not to be outdone, though, by her teammate Ekmark, who had 12 points and eight boards.

The Sun Devils struggled with turnovers throughout the entire game, finishing the night with 13 and kick-starting Cal’s offense in the process. The Golden Bears were able to convert those turnovers into points, scoring 14 points off ASU’s lost possessions. Cal was also very efficient at the free throw line shooting 71 percent, compared to Arizona State’s 50 percent.

In the end, the Sun Devils were able to pull off a much-needed road win.

Now, with the its road trip to California over, Arizona State now heads back to Tempe to go up against the Washington Huskies (7-14, 1-9 Pac-12) on Friday Feb. 2 at 8:00 p.m. MST.