A year after winning only one road game the entire season, the University of Arizona women’s basketball team won away from home for the second straight week, routing host Long Beach State 70-43 on Sunday.
Aari McDonald, the nation’s leading scorer, was “held” to 17 points, and Sam Thomas added 16 for the Wildcats (8-1), who have won seven straight overall.
Arizona scored the first 11 points of the game and led 20-9 after the first quarter. It extended the lead to 35-22 by halftime and then outscored the 49ers by a nearly identical 35-21 in the final two quarters.
The UA, which won at San Diego State last Sunday, held the 49ers (1-9) to 33 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers.
The Wildcats outrebounded Long Beach State 52-29 as Dominique McBryde had a team-high nine boards.
The UA has this week off before hosting UTEP on Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 17 ASU wins big
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Courtney Ekmark scored 21 points, Reili Richardson grabbed 11 rebounds and No. 17 Arizona State beat Colorado State 70-39.
Ekmark scored nine of the Sun Devils’ first 14 points — all on 3-pointers — en route to a 14-5 lead. Arizona State (7-2) led 24-12 at the end of Sunday’s first quarter, then proceeded to hold the Rams to single-digit scoring over the next two quarters.
Jamie Ruden scored 14 for Arizona State and Kianna Ibis chipped in 10. Arizona State registered 26 assists on 28 field goals. The Sun Devils have won five straight, are averaging 74.2 points a game over that span with an average margin of victory of 30.2 points.
No. 3 Oregon falls
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jenna Allen scored 27 points — including a big 3-pointer the final minute — and Michigan State handed No. 3 Oregon its first loss of the season, 88-82, on Sunday.
Up by three late in the fourth, the Spartans (8-1) ran the shot clock down and got the ball to Allen, who sank a 3-pointer with 34.7 seconds left, then ran down the court with her arms outstretched, holding three fingers out with each hand.
Sabrina Ionescu scored 29 points for Oregon.
