GCU’s slow start leads to the end of winning streak

February 22, 2020

By Scott Mammoser

PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon University women’s basketball team saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end after a 64-54 home loss to Utah Valley on Saturday. Jordan Holland led the Wolverines (11-14, 8-5 WAC) with 20 points and nine rebounds. The Lopes (15-9, 10-3) still hold first place in the conference and have won 10 of 12.

GCU ends 8 game winning streak with loss to Utah Valley

The Wolverines pounced onto a 13-0 start, keeping the Lopes off the scoreboard until Venla Varis knocked down two free throws with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. GCU was held without a field goal until Tianna Brown scored 1:30 later. Utah Valley held a 13-4 lead after one, with Eve Braslis already scoring eight points with five rebounds. GCU outscored the Wolverines, 22-20, in the second, to decrease the lead to 33-26 at the half, with the bench outscoring Utah Valley’s 16-0. GCU freshman guard Tavia Rowell scored with the clock expiring to end the third, with her team down 51-45.

Holland’s three pointer gave Utah Valley a 10-point lead with three minutes remaining, and that was the dagger. Braslis ended with 17 points and eight boards, while Marie Carvalho scored 10 and dished six assists. Varis led GCU with 13 points, Brown scored 11, and senior Da’jah Daniel recorded 10 points and nine rebounds in her final game at GCU Arena.

“The first quarter, we were just not ready to go,” Varis said. “The opponent came in here, they were ready to play, we were not ready to play. We got in foul trouble with our bigs and had to play four guards.”

In total, the GCU bench outscored the Wolverines’ 30-7, and UVU owned the second chance points, 18-4.

The Lopes have three more road games remaining before the WAC Tournament begins on March 11 in Las Vegas. The first is at New Mexico State on Feb. 27, followed with games at UTRGV and CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 29 and March 7. Utah Valley will conclude its home schedule against California Baptist on Feb. 26.

Devils Sweep the Eagles in Weekend Series

Mike Stockman

Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona State University Sun Devils baseball team defeated the Boston College Eagles three games this weekend, winning game one 10-4, game two 8-4, and the final game on Sunday, February 23, 2020 by a score of 8-4 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

In game one and two, the Devils accumulated 19 hits, and were walked a total of 16 times.

ASU sweeps series over BC

In game three, Eagles' sophomore pitcher Emmet Sheehan, after having a tough start in previous outing, had another rough start, walking a total of five batters in the bottom of the first, allowing a free run for the Devils.  Drew Swift helped the Devils when he hit a 2-RBI single to right field. Sheehan was replaced after his fifth walk which loaded the bases for the Devils for the second time in the opening inning. After the pitching change, the Eagles got out of the inning, holding the Devils to a 3-0 lead.

In the third inning, both teams add one run each.

In the top of the 5th, the Eagles added three runs to tie it up 4-4 when a sacrifice grounder scored the tying run. 

The Devils retake the lead when a grounder hit to third base was overthrown to first base, scoring the runner at third, 5-4.

Torkelson hits 4th home run of the season in win.

In the bottom of the sixth, Spencer Torkelson was intentionally walked for the third time in this series. However, Trevor Hauver stepped up to the plate next and knocked a home run over the center field fence, which extended the lead to 7-4.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Eagles decide to pitch to Torkelson who hits a screamer over the score board in center field extending the score to 8-4. This home run added to his overall home run count on the season, now at four.

The Devils are able to hold off a comeback attempt in the top of the ninth to win the game 8-4 and sweep the series 3-0.

The Eagles travel back to the east coast for a single game on Tuesday, February 28, 2020 at North Carolina A&T.

The Devils host New Mexico State Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. AZ time.

Bats Lead Devils to Victory Over the Eagles in Game One

Mike Stockman

Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball hosted the Boston College Eagles for a three game series that started Friday night, February 21, 2020 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. In game one, the Devils got 11 hits, winning 10-4.

ASU scored 10 runs on 11 hits in 10-4 win

Scoring started early. After the Eagles scored one run in the top of the first, ASU's Spencer Torkelson hit a double to the wall between left and center field. Gage Workman hit a three run home run scoring Torkelson and Trevor Hauver, giving the Devils a 3-1 lead over the Eagles. The Devils start the game with four hits in the bottom of the first inning.

In the second inning, the Eagles loaded the bases with two outs, but stopped from scoring when a popup to jr second baseman Drew Swift ended the threat. 

In the third inning, after walking a total of five batters and hitting another which scored a run, the Devils change pitchers to Boyd Vander Kooi (jr) with the bases load. The Devils turned a double play, but the Eagles brought a runner across to tie the game 3-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Devils added another four runs, two of which were home runs - a two run homer by jr Alika Williams, and a one run home run by Hauver that bounced off the top of the right field wall, giving the Devils a 7-3 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Eagles' Cody Morissette grounded out allowing Sal Frelick to score from third base making the score 7-4.

Nick Cheema had 1 RBI in win over the Eagles

In the seventh inning, the Devils loaded the bases, scored on a walk, then Brian Kalmer hit a two RBI single up the middle bumping the score to 10-4 over the Eagles.

The Devils finished the game with 10 runs, 11 hits, and one error.  The Eagles scored four runs with 11 hits, and an error.

After this three game series, Boston College travels to North Carolina A&T for a single game on February 28, 2020 at 4 p.m. EST.

The Devils host New Mexico State Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. AZ time.

Gym Devils upset No. 10 Cal by less than a point

February 1, 2020

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE – The Arizona State gymnastics team pulled off its first top 10 win since 2014, stunning No. 10 California, 196.300 to 196.250, on Saturday afternoon.

“I would hope this is a huge confidence builder for us,” ASU coach Jay Santos said. “We had been struggling, and this is what we’ve been doing in practice. To see that preparation come together meant a lot. They’ve been working hard in the gym, and building that confidence in the last couple of weeks helped.”

ASU upsets #10 Cal

ASU had scored 194.3 points in a loss at No. 5 Utah last week and also fell to Oklahoma earlier in the season. It defeated UC Davis in another prior home meet.

Cal junior Kyana George produced a 39.475 all-around and posted highs for the day on both beam and floor at 9.875 points to lead the Golden Bears, while Nevaeh DeSouza led the uneven bars with a 9.9 and placed second in the all-around.

Freshman Gracie Reeves also recorded a 9.85 on bars and a 9.825 on both vault and beam for ASU.

“We just came out and did what we wanted to do,” Reeves said. “It’s awesome to get high scores. I knew I could get this, and I just went.”

With a 9.875, Hannah Scharf of ASU, another freshman, equaled George with the meet’s highest vault score. Most impressive, seeing as George is ranked fourth in the nation on the vault.

“The whole freshman group is talented, but once they start settling in, they’re going to be good,” Santos added.

The Sun Devils continue their season on Feb. 8 at Corvallis, Ore., meeting both the Oregon State Beavers and the LSU Tigers. ASU returns home at 3 p.m. on Feb. 15 to host UCLA, which will be the final time Olympic veterans Kyla Ross and Madison Kocian will compete in Tempe as collegians. Cal will host Utah on Feb. 8 for its next opponent.

Sun Devils shock No. 3 Oregon State to complete weekend of upsets

January 12, 2020

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – Clearly still energized off the momentum from Friday’s win over No. 2 Oregon, the Arizona State Sun Devils’ hot streak continued with a 55-47 victory over No. 3 Oregon State on Sunday.

Following No. 1 UConn’s loss to Baylor on Thursday, the top three-ranked teams in the nation have now lost in the past four days, with the unranked Sun Devils responsible for the final two.

ASU completes weekend with shocker over #3 Oregon

The latest victim, Oregon State, was poised to ascend to No. 1 on Monday before ASU limited it to 31 percent shooting (19 percent in the second half) and 29 points below its season average.

“When you have the No. 3 team after the No. 2 team, it’s hard to not have a let down,” ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We’re really helping each other more. Everybody had a bit of a fatigue factor. We mentioned last year, we beat Oregon State on the road in double OT, so if we could do that, we can beat them at home.”

OSU (15-1, 3-1 Pac-12) led the first three minutes, then it was all Sun Devils, going ahead 13-4 after one, 24-14 at the half and never quivering. Destiny Slocum tied it at 45-45 with a three from the corner with two and a half minutes to play, but the resilient Devils stayed tough and improved to 13-4 and 3-2.

“We always have great games with them, and both teams are positioning themselves to win,” Turner Thorne added. “There’s a little bit of a rivalry with Oregon State. We always get fired up with them. We have veteran guards out there who know how to come down.”

Ja’Tavia Tapley led all scorers with 14 points, while Robbi Ryan and Reili Richardson each scored 10. Mikayla Pivec and Destiny Slocum tied for the Oregon State lead with 13 points, and Taylor Jones scored 11. Pivec and Jones recorded double-doubles, with the pair grabbing 10 and 13 rebounds.

The Beavers will try to get back on track at home against California on Jan. 17, while the Sun Devils are at Washington on the same night.

Sun Devils come from behind to upset No. 2 Ducks

January 10, 2020

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – Trailing for the entire game, a 30-14 fourth quarter propelled Arizona State to a monumental 72-66 win over the Oregon Ducks, ranked second in the national poll, on Friday.

The Ducks (12-2, 2-1 Pacific-12), who began the season as the nation’s No. 1 team before a loss to Louisville, were in position to claim the top spot as virtue of Baylor’s upset of top-ranked UConn on Thursday. The Sun Devils (12-4, 2-2) held the Ducks to 23 points below their scoring average and produced 17 points off turnovers.

ASU upsets #2 Oregon 72-66

“I thought that team, Oregon, was the best team in the country,” ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “I told our team that if they win, celebrate like you won the national championship because you are good enough to. So many great individual performances; I’m really proud of my team. I thought our seniors really stepped up, playing great defense, getting big rebounds, they’ve been getting better and better, stronger and stronger, I think that’s great because they bring a sense of urgency to our team.”

Sabrina Ionescu, the reigning Wade Trophy winner and projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, scored 24 points for Oregon, which were actually nine above her average, and she added 10 rebounds. Robbi Ryan led ASU with 17 points, and Ja’Tavia Tapley scored 16.

Jaz Shelley’s three pointer at the buzzer gave Oregon a 23-15 lead after the first quarter, her first points of the game. It was a seven-point game, 35-28, at the half, with Ionescu already scoring 10 and Ja’Tavia Tapley nine for the Sun Devils.

Things turned around in the fourth. Reili Richardson’s three with five and a half to play, cut it to a four-point game. After a shot clock violation, Richardson hit another three to decrease the lead to one, and Robbi Ryan sent the Devils to a 58-56 lead from beyond the arc with 3:53 to play. Jamie Ruden added another from downtown, following four from the Ducks. Ruden again scored consecutive baskets in the paint in the final minute for a 65-62 lead. Ionescu iced two from the line, but Ryan and Richardson made five of six down the stretch.

Ruden and Richardson each concluded with 12 points, a fact even more impressive as Turner Thorne added that Richardson had the flu and a 102-degree temperature this morning.

“It shows how tough we are, we’re just going to grind out the whole game,” Richardson said. “I practice my free throws a lot, and I put pressure on myself, so when I get into these situations, I make them. We’re going to keep shooting and defending, and that’s what we did.”

ASU’s weekend of hosting top-ranked schools from the Pacific Northwest continues at 2 p.m. on Sunday against No. 3 Oregon State, which is undefeated and will slide to the top ranking with a win. The Ducks will be at No. 18 Arizona at noon on Sunday. The Sun Devils and Ducks meet once more, Sunday, Feb. 9, in Eugene.

“We’ll take the confidence and the toughness with us, for sure,” Ryan said. “I’m so proud and happy for Jamie, just to see the success of what she brings to this team. As a team, we take it one game at a time and focus on what we need to do to win.”

Arizona stays unbeaten with five-point win at Sun Devils

December 29, 2019

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – Aari McDonald scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half, and Cate Reese added 17 points and 10 rebounds to keep the 18^th-ranked Arizona Wildcats undefeated with a 58-53 win at rival Arizona State on Sunday.

Arizona is now 12-0 for the first time in school history and is one of only a handful of undefeated teams left in the nation. The five-point margin was its closest game of the season, lessening the 11 points in its 54-43 win at UTEP. The Sun Devils fell to 10-3, with this being the Pac-12 Conference opener for each squad.

Arizona wins 58-53 over ASU, record 12-0 to start season.

“It’s tough to win a game when you shoot in the twenties,” ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said of her team’s 20-of-66 shooting performance. “I am disappointed we weren’t sharper, with all of the days off. Credit Arizona, they were tougher, and it’s a good lesson for our younger skids, this league is tough. We were a little late you know closing off on McDonald at times, and then you know some of the other stuff was just a lack of discipline. We need to clean that up, that's just not who we are.”

The Wildcats posted a 26-22 halftime lead, with 20-point per game scorer McDonald held to six. A Cate Reese three pointer allowed the Wildcats to acquire a 37-28 lead midway through the third quarter. It was a rare three-pointer on Sunday, with the teams combining to shoot 6-of-44 from downtown. Iris Mbulito cut the lead to 54-53 with a shot in the post in the final minute, as ASU attempted the comeback, but Sam Thomas iced free throws in the end to claim the finish.

While McDonald and Reese are the breakaway stars for Arizona, ASU’s bench outscored the Cats’ 35-6, something that typically favors teams in the long run.

“It was really fun at the end of the game,” Turner Thorne said. “Our young kids are out there leading the comeback. We have great seniors, but in a game that they didn’t have a best stuff, it was interesting to see the younger kids react. I just thought we didn't play smart.”

Eboni Walker led the Sun Devils with 12 points, one off the freshman’s career-best 13 and twice her average of six. Jamie Ruden was two points behind Walker with 10.

“I owe it to all to my teammates,” said Walker, who also led the Devils with eight rebounds. “I just make sure I do my job for my team. I do things for a team win. I’m a freshman this year, so I need to keep practicing to get to the Pac-12 level. Everyone really pushes me in practice every day.”

Both programs are headed to Southern California next weekend, with the Sun Devils at UCLA at 8 p.m. MT on Friday and at USC at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The Wildcats will be at the Trojans on Friday and the Bruins on Sunday, which has a noon tip.

“That game did not come down to us missing our shots, it came down to us not doing the little things we needed to do,” Ruden added. “We didn’t push in transition. We did not do these little things. In Charli’s style of defense, historically we can still win games shooting 20 percent.”