WBB Wins First Conference Tournament Game Since 2019; Will Play Iowa State on Thursday

March 5, 2025

Recap /// Game Book /// Updated Stats /// ASU Postgame Quotes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Despite playing with a roster decimated by injuries, the Sun Devil women's basketball team proved its collective heart in an 82-75 win over Cincinnati in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship on Wednesday.

The Sun Devils (No. 15 seed/10-21, 3-15 Big-12) advance to play Iowa State (No. 7 seed/21-10, 12-6 Big 12) on Thursday (5:30 p.m. CST/4:30 p.m. MST) in the third of four second round games at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Jalyn Brown (27 points, 9-16 FGs, 2 for 4 3FGs, team-high four assists) and Tyi Skinner (26 points, 4 for 8 3FGs, 10-10 FTs) combined to score 53 points and made all six of the team's 3-pointers at a 50-percent clip to help the Sun Devils (10-21) win their first conference tournament game since 2019.

For the game, the Sun Devils drained 50 percent of their shots for the third time this season. And, as has been the case all season, ASU was once again remarkable from the free throw line where it scored 24 of its points in making 80 percent of its 30 attempts.

Nevaeh Parkinson scored 15 points to go with seven rebounds and Jyah LoVett added 10 points and three assists. The Sun Devils ended the game with a plus-2 advantage on the glass thanks in large part to Kennedy Basham, who led the team in rebounds for the seventh time in eight games with a game-high 10 boards.

Everyone on the active roster played a role in the win. Hanna Miller, who, prior to this month had played only 26 minutes spread over five games due to injury, came off the bench and was superb in logging 22 minutes, scoring four points and posting career highs in rebounds (6) and assists (3).

For a little more than 32 minutes, it appeared the Sun Devils found the perfect blueprint to overcome the Bearcats (No. 10 seed/ 15-14, 7-11 Big 12), who claimed the only regular season encounter between the two teams by overcoming an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Miller's jumper with 7:56 remaining put the Sun Devis up 69-50, an even more challenging deficit for the Bearcats than what they faced earlier this season.

A little more than seven minutes later, the Sun Devils found themselves having to dig deep after the Bearcats got within three, 74-71, for a second time with 53 seconds left.

They proved they were more than up to the challenge. Skinner not only made all six of her free throws in the final 30-plus seconds, she also helped clinch the win with a rebound on each end of the floor. On the defensive end, ASU limited Cincinnati to only two free throws the rest of the way.

Thursday's second round game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KDUS AM 1060.

POSTGAME NOTES

Today's win was Arizona State's first win in a conference championship since 2019 when it defeated Colorado, 66-49, in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Jalyn Brown (27-of-31 games) and Tyi Skinner (26-of 28 games) have combined to score in double figures 51 times this season.
Brown (12) and Skinner (11) have now combined for 23, 20-point games this season.
Skinner had 13 of her points before halftime, which was the ninth time with 13 or more points in one half.
Skinner tied former player Katie Hempen's single-season record (2014-15 season) of 76 three-pointers. Skinner now ranks third on Arizona State's all-time career three-pointers list with 144 career 3-pointers, tying former player Taya Hanson (2018-22).
Closing off the first half 16 points, this is the sixth time Brown scored 16 points or more in a half. Brown's 27 points surpassed the 1,000 career points mark.
Kennedy Basham grabbed 10 rebounds in the contest, and now has six double-digit rebounding efforts this season.
Hanna Miller tied her career high with four points and had career-highs in rebounds (6) and assists (3).