With the game on the line, Arizona State picked the wrong player to foul.
Down 78-76 with 15 seconds left in regulation, the Sun Devils (15-9, 7-6) quickly fouled Oregon’s Micaela Cocks.
An 85 percent free-throw shooter heading into Saturday’s matchup, the senior guard calmly drained two free throws to give the Ducks a four-point lead. She would eventually hit two more before the final buzzer sounded, as Oregon (16-8, 7-5) squeaked out an 82-81 victory.
“(The free throws) felt a bit more important, because I knew the game was on the line,” Cocks said. “I just concentrated on making the first one, and made the second one.”
The game was a seesaw affair, as the lead changed 11 times and both teams saw extensive scoring runs. What head coach Paul Westhead will remember most, however, is the passion and resolve his team showed.
“(This was) a game that we could have just lost by 20 and said, ‘nice try,’” Westhead said. “But they’re not in that mode anymore, they’re not thinking that way.”
It looked like things could get ugly early on, as the Sun Devils went on an 8-0 run to start the game. It took a three-pointer from senior guard Taylor Lilley to finally get the Ducks on the board, and from there, Oregon went on a 10-4 run of their own.
The teams continued to trade baskets throughout the half, and at intermission the Sun Devils held a narrow 44-43 lead.
Arizona State once again got off to a hot start in the second half, riding a 12-4 run to a 56-47 lead. At this point, a visibly upset Westhead called an uncharacteristic timeout. It proved to be a turning point in the game.
“I think (the team) knew something was being restructured because I never call timeouts, especially at that moment,” Westhead said. “I just wanted to get their attention.”
The message had been sent, and the Ducks responded emphatically. Re-invigorated, the team went on a torrid 12-2 run that was capped off by a Lilley three-pointer. All of a sudden, Oregon had taken a 59-58 lead and recaptured the momentum.
Lilley was responsible for 7 of the 12 points during the run, putting the team on her shoulders when it needed her most.
“It makes us all pumped up, to see her perform like that,” sophomore forward Amanda Johnson said. “Just to see how much energy and passion she puts into the game just gives us some more momentum, some more energy to go out and perform as well.”
“I was just kind of going with the flow,” Lilley said. “Just going with the game pace, and coach ran some plays for me up top.”
As the clock wound down, the lead continued to trade hands. With 2:35 left, Lilley was fouled and sent to the free-throw line. After making the first freebie to give the Ducks a 72-70 advantage, Lilley missed the second. Ever alert, sophomore forward Jasmin Holliday tipped the miss out to Johnson, who reset the play.
The Ducks took advantage of the extra possession, as Johnson drained a clutch three-pointer to increase the lead to five.
When the clock finally hit zero, Oregon had escaped with a close victory. Lilley finished with a team-high 26 points, including five three-pointers. Cocks followed close behind with 20 points, while Johnson added 13 points and seven rebounds. As a team, the Ducks outrebounded Arizona State 35-27 and racked up an astounding 22 offensive rebounds.
“We’ve gone weeks with less than 22,” Westhead said. “So big turnaround … we got terrific offensive rebounding in the second half.”
It was a particularly rewarding experience for a team that has placed a heavy emphasis on the boards of late.
“We go through two weeks of practice tallying who’s getting rebounds, how many times they’re attempting, how many times they’re getting put-backs,” Johnson said. “I think that if you put that much energy and emphasis on a certain concept then you’re going to get results. It’s just a matter of time.”
Senior guard Danielle Orsillo led the Sun Devils with a game-high 29 points, while junior center Becca Tobin chipped in 20. The Sun Devils shot a remarkable 64.6 percent from the field, but also turned the ball over 21 times.
“We definitely rattled them and forced them into turnovers,” Cocks said. “That’s what won us the game and got us back into the game.”
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