UCF Knights at Arizona State Sun Devils

Ekmark leads Arizona State past UCF, 60-45

Clearly, she knows how to win at this time of year.

Ekmark scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, and fifth-seeded Arizona State beat 12th-seeded UCF 60-45 on Friday night in a Portland Region first-round game. It was only the third 20-point game of the season for Ekmark, who essentially doubled her season scoring average of 10.2 points per game coming into Friday.

"She has probably been the most closely guarded player that I've ever coached in 30 years of coaching," Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne said of Ekmark, who left Connecticut after two seasons to transfer back to her home state. "Every game in the Pac-12, she was blanketed. When she heard we were facing a zone, she went, `Yes!"

Kianna Ibis added 12 for Arizona State (21-10), which won a first-round game for the sixth consecutive season and will play Miami on Sunday. Ibis had six points in a 10-0 run late in the third quarter that put the Sun Devils up by 22.

"I don't think this experience was a downfall for us," Wright said. "I just think some shots didn't fall early on."

Ekmark opened the game with a 3-pointer, then opened the second half with a pair of 3s. Those two quickly turned what was a 10-point halftime lead to a 16-point edge, and the lead stayed in double digits the rest of the way.

"Those were big shots," UCF coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. "To hit those shots in games, in this atmosphere, in this gym, those were big shots for her."

Said Ekmark: "It was a great way to start the second half."

Ekmark then got free for a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:19 left for a 57-41 lead, essentially ending the Knights' hopes.

"She is an amazing shooter," Turner Thorne said. "She can take over."

TIP-INS

UCF: The Knights missed 10 of their first 11 shots, and 17 of their first 20. ... UCF went with a starting lineup last used on Feb. 9, which was 10 games ago. Kayla Thigpen moved back into the starting lineup in place of Sydnee McDonald. ... The No. 12 seed was UCF's highest of its five NCAA tournament appearances. ... UCF was outrebounded 42-27.

Arizona State: This is the second year that Arizona State got NCAA tournament wins from both its men's and women's teams. The other instance was 2009. ... The Sun Devils are now 17-2 this season in games where they led by 10 or more points. The losses came against Baylor on Nov. 11 and Cal on Feb. 22. ... It was the 36th NCAA tournament game for the Sun Devils, the first of those in Florida.

21 BY 21

AT LARGE

UP NEXT

Arizona State plays Miami on Sunday.

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• TV Channel: Knights vs Sun Devils 2021 College Basketball, week , is broadcasted on ESPN2.
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