Carrera’s career day paves way for bounce back ASU victory over Kansas

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State Sun Devils hosted the Kansas Jayhawks at Desert Financial Arena on Saturday. ASU was seeking revenge after losing to TCU, meaning the hunger for a victory was never stronger.

ASU had a phenomenal game, featuring a great, aggressive offense and a highly physical defense. The Jayhawks faced multiple offensive and defensive issues after the first quarter, resulting in a Sun Devils’ victory that everyone had been craving.

The beginning of ASU’s glory

Starting the game off right, graduate guard Gabby Elliott and sophomore forward Heloisa Carrera made both free throws, giving the Sun Devils an early 4-0 lead. Off the bat, fouls became a staple very early in this game, causing both teams to give up points at the free-throw line.

After many personal fouls, the Sun Devils continued to give up points at the free-throw line while allowing baskets defensively as the Jayhawks came out with an aggressive offense, making this a very tricky game to overlook.

Carrera was the Sun Devils’ highest scorer with 22 points, a career high.

“[Carrera’s] ceiling is so high,” ASU head coach Molly Miller said. “But for what she has done already in this young career, in this young season, in this young program has been phenomenal.”

At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied up 13-13. Both teams continued to struggle with fouls, which only made the game trickier.

With heavy offensive pressure from ASU, Kansas slowed down, and the Sun Devils took a 25-21 lead halfway through the second quarter, but that number only continued to go up.

By the time halftime arrived, freshman guard Amaya Williams scored a last-minute 3-pointer, finalizing a 40-29 lead at halftime for the Sun Devils. With the physicality in this game sky-high, it was a huge factor that definitely determined the outcome.

The Sun Devils slid into victory

Going into the third quarter, ASU continued a lockdown defense, which kept the Jayhawks’ offense in a jam.

“Every month, every day we are together, we emphasize pressure defense,” Miller said.

After leading at halftime, ASU prioritized its offense in the third quarter to extend its lead by 12 points, while slowing down the foul rate. Meanwhile, Kansas continued to stack up fouls, majorly hurting at the free-throw line.

“You can’t continue to make the same mistakes and expect progress,” Kansas head Coach Brandon Schneider said. Starting the final quarter, ASU led 55-43, opening up a natural offensive rhythm to finish the game strong.

As the time ticked away, ASU continued to score. The Sun Devils showed how strong this offense is and how well they could control the foul rate to come out strong.

ASU walked out victorious after a strong 67-51 win over Kansas, showcasing its offense and star potential.

The Sun Devils are back on the road Wednesday, Jan 21, taking on West Virginia. The Mountaineers should be a good test for the red-hot Sun Devils as they continue out this season.