The University of Arizona Wildcats mounted a second-half comeback to put themselves in position to steal a road win Wednesday from in-state rival ASU, but foul trouble and late game execution cost them as they fell 61-68 at Desert Financial Center.
The win was the 12th home victory for the 18-4 Sun Devils and pushed UA to 10-10 and 1-8 in conference play.
“We put ourselves in the position to win,” Arizona head coach Becky Burke said. “But ultimately we didn’t.”
The first half was back and forth between the two Arizona teams. Despite keeping the tempo defensively, the Wildcats turned the ball over 14 times and struggled to find offensive rhythm while the Sun Devils held their largest lead of 9 points in the second quarter.
Veteran ASU players, Gabby Elliott, Jyah LoVette and Marley Washenitz had a combined 20 points to help lead the Sun Devils offense into the second half.
The Wildcats were quick to switch the pace in the third quarter with Sumayah Sugapong and Noelani Cornfield each making two back-to-back layups in the first two minutes.
Arizona’s adjustments carried them into the middle of the third quarter with Kamryn Kitchen knocking down a three-pointer off a fast break, followed by a layup from Nora Francois and a jumper from Cornfield to give the Wildcats an 8-point lead; their largest of the game.
Noelani Cornfield working on offense in the Territorial Cup at the Desert Financial Center on Wednesday night.
“We actually only turned it over six times in the second half,” Burke said. “We adjusted our press offense at halftime and were pretty unbothered by it after that.”
The Wildcats offense was led by 19 points from Cornfield and 14 points from Kitchen.
Familiar foul trouble halted that momentum early in the fourth as Sugapong received her fifth and final personal, leaving the Wildcats short a key offensive player. Kitchen also received a fourth foul forcing Arizona to adjust their rotation late in the game.
“I’m okay with some of those fouls…if that means you’re playing hard and you’re not being passive and you’re not sitting off the ball and being lazy,” said Burke.
The Sun Devils capitalized on UA’s foul troubles in the final two minutes of the game, with junior McKinna Brackens scoring two free throws and fifth-year senior Gabby Elliott getting a pair off Kitchen’s foul. What had been a one-possession game quickly became out of reach.
This was the first Territorial Cup for both Burke and Arizona State’s Molly Miller, who joined ASU this year after five years at Grand Canyon University.
“Yeah. I’m not good with rivalries, ’cause I take it way too serious. I’m too competitive. So it’s all I’ve been thinking about, all I’ve been focused on. And I know they were the same way,” said Burke. “So this one hurts a little bit more.
But like I said, we just broke our huddle in that locker room, let them know we get them in a couple weeks in Tucson. We’re excited about that.”
This was the first of two Territorial Cup meetings. UA has won the last eight and ASU won at home in 2022.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
