Arizona State guard Betsy Boardman proved Saturday that the use of “proper” defensive technique is overrated.
With fewer than 10 seconds remaining and the Sun Devils ahead of the Ducks 67-65, Oregon forward Eleanor Haring beat Boardman off the dribble and appeared to have a clear lane to the basket.
Just as Haring passed by, however, Boardman reached around the Oregon freshman and flicked the ball off her leg. Arizona State grabbed the loose ball and held on for a 69-67 come-from-behind victory at McArthur Court.
“That’s something I do to make up for my lack of quickness on defense,” Boardman said. “I’m very blessed with long arms … I can do that 85, 90 percent of the time without getting a foul, so I was fully confident when I flicked it.”
Arizona State head coach Charli Turner Thorne said she doesn’t approve of Boardman’s defensive technique but was pleased with the result.
“Betsy relies a little bit too much on the flick,” Turner Thorne said. “I do not coach that. I coach position defense; move your feet and stay in front of somebody, but today I’ll take it.”
While pulling out a dramatic victory was sweet for every Arizona State player, the win carried something extra for a trio of Sun Devils, all of whom hail from Oregon.
Boardman, junior Carrie Buckner and sophomore Amy Denson returned to their home state and played pivotal roles in defeating the Ducks. Sophomore Jill Noe, a fourth player from Oregon, was lost for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee on Oct. 8.
Boardman was the first of the group to arrive in Tempe, playing her way onto the 2000-01 Pac-10 All-Freshman Team. The Portland native was a 2000 graduate of Beaverton High School, where she was a three-time honorable mention USA Today All-American.
The 6-foot-1 junior is the team’s leading scorer (12.0 points per game) despite missing all of last season with an ACL tear in her left knee.
Boardman was Arizona State’s energy boost Saturday, hitting a pair of big three-pointers and grabbing a game-high three steals.
“I love coming to play here,” Boardman said. “The Pit is a great atmosphere … it’s a lot of fun to come here and play and beat them.”
Buckner arrived in 2001 after graduating from Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis. The 5-foot-9 guard was a USA Today honorable mention All-American her junior season. She finished with eight points, four rebounds and four assists Saturday.
“It was nice to win in front of my family and friends,” Buckner said. “Being able to come home and (win) on the road makes us feel good.”
Denson saved her contribution toward Saturday’s win until the second half, when she scored 10 points and helped the Sun Devils overcome an eight-point deficit in the game’s final four minutes.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore was a 2002 graduate of Crater High School in Central Point, Ore. She was named Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
“I was kind of feeling it after I hit my first (shot),” Denson said. “We all hit big shots at key times.”