Sun Devils complete sweep of military academies, with win over Army

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE – Coach Charli Turner Thorne said she wanted her team to play a more up-tempo style of offense this season, and through the No. 18 Arizona State women’s basketball team’s first two games, her game plan has lived up to its billing.

The Sun Devils scored 34 points off turnovers to defeat Army West Point on Sunday, 83-51, and improve to 2-0. Celebrating Veteran’s Day this week, it was the second time in five days that ASU hosted one of the military academies, coming up victorious against Air Force, 87-56, in its season opener on Tuesday.

#18 ASU improves to 2-0 on the season

“We got better from Tuesday to tonight, we rebounded better,” Turner Thorne said. “We’re clearly young and not sustaining tome things. We could have got to triple digits possibly. I thought everybody got more consistent today. Air Force and Army are tough and athletic, and I love their fight and relentlessness. I didn’t think our perimeter shooting showed up as much as I wanted it to (4-of-21), everybody on the team can shoot.”

At halftime, ASU poised a 48-27 advantage, which is a score we might have seen at the end of the third quarter in years past. A balanced attack, three Sun Devils scored at least eight points at the time, while Lindsey Scamman of Army had all 12 of her team-high points in the first half. The ASU bench actually scored 51 points, which equaled Army’s team total.

Ja’Tavia Tapley, the USC transfer, led the Sun Devils with 18 points in the game.

“I’m glad to be able to bring that to this team,” Tapley said, “to make a difference after not being able to do so the past couple years.”

Jayde Van Hyfte and Robbi Ryan each added 12 points, with Van Hyfte including 10 rebounds in her double-double, while it was the season debut for the previously-injured Ryan, who played 15 minutes.

“It was really fun to be back,” Ryan said. “It’s always fun to be with my teammates.”

ASU will be at No. 23 Minnesota and second-year head coach Lindsay Whalen on Nov. 17, then travels to the Florida Gulf Coast Showcase, beginning with a game against Maine on Nov. 29. The next matchup at Desert Financial Arena will be with BYU at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6.