Arizona State women's basketball nearly at full strength in win over UTSA

Arizona State women's basketball huddles ahead of their opening game against University of Northern Colorado at Desert Financial Arena.
Arizona State women's basketball huddles ahead of their opening game against University of Northern Colorado at Desert Financial Arena.

Arizona State women’s basketball has played shorthanded for most of the young season, but within the last two weeks, the team is getting back to full strength.

And the long-awaited return of veteran forward Jayde Van Hyfte against UTSA was icing on the cake as the Sun Devils won Saturday’s opening game 68-44 in the annual ASU Classic.

Van Hyfte made quick work of her season debut since her knee injury against Stephen F. Austin in last season’s opener. Without showing signs of rust from 10 months off from basketball, Van Hyfte nailed the team’s first layup and registered a block all within the first minute-and-a-half of play. The senior went on to score six points in 14 minutes, while making her presence felt elsewhere with a steal and two rebounds. Jaddan Simmons clicked particularly well with Van Hyfte as she assisted on three of Van Hyfte’s field goals.

“It’s been about 10 months since I’ve had surgery, so I felt ready and prepared and just excited to be back with my team and playing Sun Devil basketball again. It’s an amazing feeling putting on the jersey and going out there and giving it my all,” Van Hyfte said.

Arizona State commanded the first half, allowing 13 points from UTSA, the lowest total in the first half since Feb. 1, 2019 against Arizona. Building off 22 points in the first quarter, ASU held a 21-point lead going into halftime. UTSA scored five points on just 11 attempts from the field in the second quarter.

Taya Hanson, along with Simmons, bolstered ASU’s offense as both led the varied offense with 10 points each. Hanson’s six rebounds paced the glass game that included 38 rebounds from ASU (4-4), while Simmons dished out seven assists.

Nov 25, 2020; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Jayde Van Hyfte (32) is pressured by Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks forward Aiyana Johnson (21) and guard Alyssa Mayfield (2) during the season opener in Tempe. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
Nov 25, 2020; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Jayde Van Hyfte (32) is pressured by Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks forward Aiyana Johnson (21) and guard Alyssa Mayfield (2) during the season opener in Tempe. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic

“I definitely have missed Jayde out there. This is so exciting having her back because we’ve been there since freshman year together and just seeing how hard she’s worked since her injury. She’s persevered more than anyone I know. I’m super proud of her and she brings the energy, she brings the toughness, and that’s what we need so we’re happy to have her back,” Hanson said.

The dominance on defense and offense in the first half saw some cracks as ASU took less looks and allowed a better shooting percentage from UTSA. The Roadrunners rebounded from a 19 percent performance (5-for-27) in the first half to 34 percent in the second half (10-for-29). ASU struggled from the 3-point line in the second half, only making two of 10 attempts, while shooting 44 percent from the field (11-for-25). ASU committed 11 turnovers in the second half, while only having seven in the first half.

“We came out, we were shooting the ball really well, and then we just settled into this pattern. We just have to get more disciplined. We should have easily had more. We squandered too many possessions and too many turnovers. We have to learn to be patient,” ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said.

It took time for ASU to regain their rhythm in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter.

Hanson kickstarted the offense when grabbing a defensive rebound and set up Katelyn Levings in transition to score ASU’s first layup in nearly four minutes. That series helped ASU not slip back to the 15-point difference seen three times in the quarter.

Arizona State settled down in the final minutes, holding UTSA’s top scorer, LaPraisjah Johnson to eight points, while Charlene Mass led with 14 points on five field goals.

Nearly at full strength, ASU saw eight players scored six points or more. Mael Gilles remained consistent, nabbing five rebounds and eight points. Levings, Jade Loville, and Isadora Sousa all had seven points.

Turner Thorne said what’s helped the rebounding game recently is basing the starting five on the top rebounders on the team. Adding Van Hyfte back into the mix has also helped the newer team as Pac-12 play looms at the end of the month.

“Just her presence, she just gives so much energy to our team. I thought for not playing for over a year, she did a great job tonight. She will help this very new team come together a little bit and help us dig deep and play harder when we get tired,” Turner Thorne said.

Reach the reporter at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-647-4122. Follow her on Twitter @jennarortiz.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State women's basketball nearly at full strength in win over UTSA