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Charli Turner Thorne asked two things of her Arizona State women’s basketball team going into Sunday’s rematch with No. 9 Arizona.

Neither involved winning although by accomplishing both, that was the outcome.

“Empty out and stick together,” Turner Thorne said were the entirety of her wish list. “I told them the bottom line if you do that, you’re going to be happy at the end of the game.”

The Sun Devils (11-9, 6-9 Pac-12) were deliriously happy with a 66-64 overtime win that showed, despite mixed results along the way, how far they have progressed since losing 65-37 at UA on Dec. 10.

UA coach Adia Barnes had legitimate reason to say the Wildcats (18-4, 15-4) were the better team and “should win the game.” But ASU can never be taken lightly because of its high caliber defense and on a day when the Sun Devils are shooting well, they are dangerous against anyone.

“It was great to get extra time to work on our offense,” Turner Thorne said of a single-game week. “It’s amazing what you can do when you shoot a decent percentage.”

Decent doesn’t do it justice.

ASU shot a season high 56 percent from 3-point (10-of-18), way above its previous best (37.5 vs. USC on Dec. 4). Its 46 percent overall shooting also was a season high, keeping the Sun Devils in front for a majority of the regular season finale at Desert Financial Arena.

ASU overcomes late regulation call

Arizona trailed 12-11 after the first quarter and 20-17 late in the second before an 11-0 run stretching into the second half to lead 28-20.

After a timeout with 8:11 left in the third quarter, the Sun Devils came out firing as if the game was at stake at that juncture. They went on a 9-0 capped by the first of two 3-pointers by Bre’yanna Sanders, ASU’s only senior on Senior Day.

ASU led 39-35 after three quarters and 52-44 with 4:20 left in the fourth. But the Wildcats, with a veteran team led by WNBA-bound Aari McDonald, closed regulation on an 11-3 run capped by two McDonald free throws at 5.3 seconds after a tripping call on Iris Mbulito.

“It’s impossible to fall forward and get tripped,” Turner Thorne said. “One of the other officials said I understand your frustration. I tell the team you have to play through three bad calls. You hope one isn’t the last possession in the fourth quarter. The officials do the best they can, they don’t have an agenda. Aari is a great player, and great players sometimes get calls that other don’t.”

Instead of backing down, ASU was ahead or tied for all but 26 seconds of the five-minute overtime. Freshman Jaddan Simmons scored eight of the Sun Devils’ 11 points with the other three on a crucial trey by Taya Hanson for 65-62 with 56 seconds left.

Bendu Yeaney scored on a drive for UA then Simmons made 1-of-2 free throws at 13.3 seconds. McDonald, who scored a game-high 30 points, couldn’t get off the last shot. Instead forward Cate Reese missed a 3-pointer from the right wing as ASU ended its three-game rivalry series losing streak.

Hanson hits ‘biggest shot’

Hanson had 19 points, hitting 5-of-7 3-pointers, with Simmons scoring 13 of her 15 points in the second half/overtime. Sanders added eight, one off her career high.

“That’s probably the biggest shot in my career so far,” said Hanson, a junior. “Bre (Sanders) set an awesome screen. After last weekend, we came into practices with a chip on our shoulders. We knew what it was going to take to win this game. It was going to take everything we had, all the effort, all the hustle plays, people getting in the gym and working on offense.”

Freshman forward Maggie Besselink pulled a season high 13 rebounds (tied for the team season high) with ASU leading 38-31 on the boards. She and fellow freshman Katelyn Levings combined for 14 points.

“She’s been our best rebounder,” Turner Thorne said of 6-3 Besselink. “We’ve been challenging everybody else on the team to do what they’re capable of doing like Maggie. She did it well today.”

The Sun Devils won despite 22 turnovers leading to 21 Wildcat points. 

UA still is projected as a No. 2 NCAA Tournament seed by the selection committee although that ranking does not take into account the Wildcats’ second consecutive loss.

ASU still is on the NCAA tourney outside going into the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. No. 9 seed ASU will open against No. 8 USC on Wednesday with the winner facing No. 1 Stanford on Thursday.

“We’re excited to build on this,” Hanson said. “I told Charli, we’re not done. This isn’t it. We have a lot more to bring. Sun Devil women’s basketball plays in March, that’s where our mentality is. It’s what we’re going to do.”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8053. Follow him on Twitter @jeffmetcalfe.

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