ASU Women’s Basketball: No. 18 Sun Devils take down the Huskies, 67-50

The No. 18 Sun Devils made their presence felt in Seattle from the tip, with a convincing win over the Washington Huskies 67-50.

After a crazy weekend where Arizona State (14-4, 4-2 Pac-12) took down two AP top-five teams, a win over Washington was needed.

In Friday’s game, the Sun Devils and Huskies seemed to be very well balanced on the defensive side of the ball.

In the first quarter alone, the two teams totaled for 15 turnovers. The game seemed to be a dog fight but ASU was able to find its shots and run away.

The Sun Devils were pesky on defense, forcing the Huskies to turn the ball over 18 times. They also held Washington (10-6, 2-3) to a season-low in points scored (50), on 16-49 (33 percent) from the field.

In the second half, it almost turned into a tale of two halves when Washington went on an 8-0 run in the beginning of the third quarter.

After head coach Charli Turner Thorne called a timeout, ASU returned to its form and kept a double-digit lead for most of the second half.

The Sun Devils have struggled from the field in some games this season. However, they connected on 50 percent of their shots (27-54) and made 8-14 from 3-point range on Friday.

ASU lead for 37 of the 40 minutes and the star of the game was graduate senior forward Ja’Tavia Tapley. After being named the ESPNW Women’s Player of the Week for her performances in the upset wins over the Oregon schools, Tapley put on another show in Seattle.

She was the leading scorer with 15 points and added five rebounds and three assists to her name.

The Sun Devils senior guards (Richardson, Russell and Ryan) combined for 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as well. They have made their whereabouts known in the teams four-game winning streak, combining for 86 points.

ASU will now head to Pullman to take on the Washington State Cougars (9-8, 2-3) in a matinee game on Sunday.