TEMPE, Ariz.—Pacific women's basketball (4-3) showed a tremendous effort against a tough Arizona State team (7-2) but came up short b7 a score of 72-64 on Friday.
Junior
Elizabeth Elliott posted her second double-double of the season and eighth of her career with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Senior
Kadie Deaton finished with 15 points and a season-high seven rebounds while teammate
Liz Smith notched 13 points.
It was a battle with 12 ties and two lead changes.
In the first quarter, the Tigers came within one four times before Smith's two free throws and buzzer-beater layup put them in the lead at the end of the quarter, 20-18.
Both teams kept the score close in the second quarter within a two-point or lower margin. Smith and Deaton were the only scorers during that time frame as they contributed four points apiece. Pacific was up 28-26 with 2:12 to go before half, but it was erased by a final-second basket from the Sun Devils.
Arizona State took the lead at the start of the third quarter thanks to an 11-4 run, 39-32. The Sun Devils outscored the Tigers, 27-13, to take a 55-41 lead. Pacific had six turnovers and four of them were converted into nine points for Arizona State.
The Tigers still had some fight in them going into the fourth. Pacific responded with a 15-2 run to cut the Sun Devils 14-point lead to one. Junior
Anaya James scored the bucket that made the score 57-56.
Arizona State scored the next three points before Elliott notched two free throws and a layup to tie the game at 60 with under three minutes to go.
Deaton kept the Tigers' hopes of a comeback alive after tying the game again with a three-point play at 1:59. But the Sun Devils pulled away for good with nine unanswered points.
Pacific shot 42.1% (24-57) from the field and 60.7% (17-28) at the free-throw line. The Tigers scored 16 of their points off a season-high 15 offensive rebounds.
Arizona State was 43.5% (27-62) and 61.8% (21-34) at the charity stripe. The Sun Devils posted 18 of its points off of nine of Pacific's 20 turnovers and had 21 points on the fast break.
Up next, the Tigers look to rebound as they face Temple in their second game of the Brian January Classic at 12 p.m. PT/ 1 p.m. MT on Saturday, December 2.
