The No. 17 ASU women’s basketball team’s attempt to extend their five-game win streak came up just short on Friday night as Cal used a late run to escape with a 69-60 win.
Junior guard Reili Richardson scored 12 points and collected five rebounds to lead the Sun Devils (18-7, 9-5 Pac-12). A Richardson free throw with four minutes left to play got ASU back within three points of Cal (15-11, 6-9 Pac-12).
Many Sun Devils contributed offensively, as the ASU bench outscored Cal 24-0. Redshirt senior guard Courtney Ekmark added 10 points and nine rebounds, junior guard Kiara Russell scored eight points and junior guard Robbi Ryan had seven points.
ASU had a strong first half on both sides of the ball, and it headed into halftime leading 32-25. The Sun Devil’s gritty defense held Cal to zero free throws in the first half, but ASU couldn’t keep up with the aggressiveness of the Golden Bears, a team that in the second half were 60 percent from the field and 67 percent from deep.
The Sun Devils could not find their usual offensive groove, as they ended the game only 27 percent from three. ASU’s leading-scorer, senior forward Kianna Ibis, had 26 points in a 62-61 win over Cal on Jan. 13, but was 1-11 from the field with only three points.
Cal’s Kristine Anigwe and Recee Caldwell scored 20 points each, while Asha Thomas added 18. ASU was outscored 22-9 in the third quarter and was not able to grab the lead for the remainder of the game. Once ASU got within three, the Golden Bears struck again, going on a 7-0 run late in the final minutes.
The Sun Devils return to action on Sunday as they play No. 7 Stanford at 2 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at amrusse6@asu.edu or follow @alexrussell0706 on Twitter.
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