Bruin Women Shake No. 9 Sun Devils Too

Arizona State came to Los Angeles this weekend a top-10 women’s basketball team. But it won’t leave as one.

Not after UCLA (9-6, 4-2) handed the ninth-ranked Sun Devils their second consecutive loss Sunday, 77-69, in Pacific 10 Conference play at Pauley Pavilion.

Noelle Quinn and Lisa Willis combined for 47 points, and the Bruin defense recorded 13 steals and forced Arizona State (12-3, 3-2) into a season-high 28 turnovers. The win also ended the Sun Devils’ three-game win streak against the Bruins and left Arizona State 0-2 for L.A., the Sun Devils having made 23 turnovers and shot 36.5% in a 58-50 loss to USC on Friday.

“Defending your home court is very important in the Pac-10,” UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier said. “You have to make sure you play your style, and we were able to do that. We had a lot of fouls called on us [22] and that usually takes us out of the game. But we played through it.”

Besides Quinn, who had 24 points and six rebounds, and Willis, who added 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals, UCLA got 13 points from Nikki Blue.

The Bruins started sluggishly, with only two points in the first five minutes. But midway through the first half they caught the Sun Devils at 11-11. In the last five minutes of the half, Quinn and Willis alternated baskets during a 14-0 run that put UCLA in control at halftime, 34-24.

The first half, in which Arizona State shot 38.1% and made 15 turnovers, took its toll. The Sun Devils came as close as three, in the second half, the last time at 50-47 with 8:20 left, but never caught up. Kristen Kovesdy led Arizona State with 12.

“We came out to Los Angeles and were very generous. We just gave the ball away and away,” Arizona State Coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “But this weekend was a good lesson for this young team.”