TUCSON, Ariz. – Arnecia Hawkins scored a game-high 19 points and Katie Hempen added 14 to help the eighth-ranked Arizona State women's basketball team to a 62-47 win over Arizona on Sunday.
With the win the Sun Devils (17-3, 8-0 Pac-12) are off to their best start in conference play in program history. It is the second straight season that the team has established a new standard of success in Pac-12 play after winning its first seven league games last season. Sunday's win also extended ASU's current winning streak to 14 games (one short of tying the program record for consecutive wins).
By virtue of sweeping the season series, the Sun Devils claimed the Territorial Cup Series point in women's basketball giving ASU a 5.5-1.0 lead in the competition between the two schools.
The Sun Devils shot 46 percent for the game and nearly doubled up Arizona on the boards (37-19). Thirteen of ASU's rebounds came on the offensive end, which led to 15 second-chance points. Kelsey Moos (two points, eight rebounds/five on the offensive end) and Sophie Brunner (nine points, seven rebounds/four on the offensive end) accounted for 15 of ASU's rebounds and the majority of its offensive boards.
Arizona (11-9, 2-6 Pac-12) was led by Malena Washington, who scored 17 points.
Hawkins helped the Devils get off to a fast start as she scored 11 points in the first quarter to help ASU get out to a 19-6 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. Quinn Dornstauder (four points), Brunner (two points) and Kianna Ibis (two points) also scored for the Sun Devils, who shot 62 percent in the first quarter (8-13).
Hempen would lead the way in the second quarter as she scored eight of ASU's 15 points to help give the Sun Devils a 34-14 advantage at the game's midpoint. ASU shot 50 percent in the first half while holding Arizona to only 33 percent.
Although the Devils were not able to maintain their hot shooting in the second half (41 percent), they stayed in control of the game as Arizona never got closer than 12 points in the final 20 minutes.
Next up for the Sun Devils is a road trip to Oregon where they will face Oregon on Friday (8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT – Pac-12 Networks/NBC Sports Radio AM 1060) and No. 11 Oregon State on Monday, Feb. 1 (8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT – ESPN2/NBC Sports Radio AM 1060).
