Arizona State finds the glass full with 15 offensive rebounds

By Brooks Hatch
Corvallis Gazette-Times

One of LaVonda Wagner’s tenets is that offense sells tickets and defense wins games, but rebounding wins championships.

After looking at the stat sheet following Thursday night’s 59-43 loss to No. 11 Arizona State, Oregon State’s second-year coach had no doubt as to the key stat in ASU’s eighth consecutive win in the series.

“Outrebounded us 40-23, there’s the game right there,” Wagner said. “We had 13 turnovers in the first half and only five in the second, but we turned around and gave it back on the glass.

“(ASU) rebounds to run, and when you beat somebody 40-23 on the boards, you’re going to score in transition,” and ASU did, to the tune of a decisive 20-0 advantage in fast-break points. “They had 15 offensive rebounds, which gave them 15 extra looks.

“We had six, one in the second half. There’s the game right there, in my mind.”

ASU’s (15-2, 5-1) 15 offensive rebounds led to a 12-7 advantage in second-chance points and a 38-26 points in the paint edge.

Senior guard Casey Nash scored a game-high 20 points for the Beavers (6-8, 1-4), and almost every one was earned through a gauntlet of defenders. Nash’s only two free throws, however, came well after the game was decided even though she drew contact on virtually every shot.

“They had a lot of pressure, they were an aggressive team, they’re going to get up into you and pressure you,” Nash said. “You’ve just got to handle it.”

Added Wagner, reluctant to say anything even mildly critical after drawing technicals in OSU’s previous two games:

“I need (Nash) to get to the line more, and we need to be able to draw some fouls to do that.”

Two-time all-league forward Emily Westerberg led ASU with 15 points; Aubree Johnson had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ten Sun Devils played 12 or more minutes as coach Charli Turner Thorne sent wave upon wave of fresh players to keep her transition game and pressure defense humming.

“We did an outstanding job of taking away what they wanted to do, and controlling the boards,” especially in the second half, Turner Thorne said.

“Our greatest strength is our transition offense and we did a better job (defensively) in the second half. When we got stops we got the jump on them and created some easy offense for us.”

The Beavers led 15-12 with 7:21 left in the first half after a Julie Futch 3-pointer. However, starting point guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin drew her third foul at 5:53 and the Beavers didn’t score another basket after drawing within 18-17 on a Nash jumper with 5:17 remaining. ASU ended the half with a 13-3 run for a 31-20 halftime lead.

“I thought we had them on the ropes,” Nash said.

However, OSU’s offensive flow was disrupted when Fox-Griffin went out.

“We struggled executing our offense,” Wagner said. “We battled back, but just couldn’t get over the hump,” and ASU responded with a clinching 14-2 run after the Beavers had closed within 40-35 with 11:43 remaining.

“We were trying to match their aggressiveness and unfortunately we put them on the free-throw line and they were able to score with the clock off with the lead to put it up to nine (points),” on four Aubree Johnson free throws. “We were never able to get back into it.”

ASU eventually led by 18 with 47 seconds remaining.

The Beavers host Arizona at 7 p.m. Saturday in their next game. The Wildcats (7-11, 1-5) lost for the eighth time in their past 10 games on Thursday night, 86-73 at Oregon.