Allen Matches Career-High With 11 Rebounds Against Sun Devils.

 TEMPE, Ariz. – One thing is for certain after Sunday's showdown in the desert: No. 25 Arizona State got a lot more than it bargained for when the Yale women's basketball team came to town.

In a 69-51 loss to the Sun Devils, who are now 11-1 and ranked in the AP Top 25, the Bulldogs (4-7, 0-0 Ivy) made it extremely difficult for their Pac-12 opponent to gain any offensive rhythm. Arizona State heavily relied on 15 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points to pull away from the feisty Elis.

For the Bulldogs down the stretch, it was not a lack of quality opportunities from the field, but rather a lack of execution. Yale shot 35.5-percent (22-of-62) for the game to Arizona State's 43.1-percent (25-of-58).

Though Yale shot an impressive 41.2-percent from the field in the first 13 minutes of regulation, the Sun Devils eventually put their defensive prowess on display. Entering Sunday's contest, the Sun Devils' defense allowed a league-low 55 points per game and proved the numbers to be accurate against the Bulldogs.

In the second game Yale has played against a Pac-12 opponent this season, the Bulldogs struggled with 16 turnovers, three more than their average coming into the game. The Sun Devils also outrebounded the Elis, 44-35, making Yale 0-6 in games when they are outrebounded.

Class of 1954, Joel E. Smilow head coach Chris Gobrecht faced off against Arizona State head coach Charli Turner Thorne, a former assistant to Gobrecht in her time at Washington.

With the two coaches being familiar with each other's styles of play, both used similar game strategies, pushing the ball relentlessly up-and-down the court and emphasizing aggressive defense. The Sun Devils managed only six fast-break points, while the Bulldogs had two.

Several controversial foul calls also resulted in a different ballgame, as Arizona State was 15-of-23 from the free throw line, while Yale visited the charity stripe only three times, going 5-of-6.

After trailing by 12 at halftime, the Sun Devils would outscore the Bulldogs, 25-12, in the first 14 minutes of the second half, grabbing a 25-point lead. Yale played intensely in the final six minutes, going on a 17-10 run to end the game.

Sophomore guard Lena Munzer (Highland Park, Ill.) scored eight of her team-high 10 points in the second half, including two shots from long range. Junior center Emmy Allen (Overland Park, Kan.), who matched a career-high with 11 rebounds in the game, pulled down seven in the second half.

It was a break-out game for Allen, who played a career-high 25 minutes and was a force on both ends of the floor. The 6-3 center caused many awkward shots from Arizona State players driving to the hoop. She scored four points and blocked two shots to go with her 11 rebounds, three of which were on the offensive side.

The Sun Devils shot 48.1-percent from the field in the second half to Yale's 33.3-percent, giving the home team a chance to separate themselves and avoid an upset.

In the first 13 minutes of the game, the Bulldogs were off to a hot start, making 7 of their first 17 shots. Yale trailed by no more than three points for the first 10 minutes of play.

Arizona State ended the half on a 19-10 run, due in large part to Sun Devils' leading scorer Sophie Brunner (12.8 ppg) scoring seven of her nine in that time. Senior guard Promise Amukamara also added four of her game-high 15 in the last seven minutes of the half.

Though the Bulldog defense was solid throughout the game, recording seven steals, six blocks, and forcing 17 Sun Devil turnovers, it was turnovers and the inability to move the ball by Yale that allowed Arizona State to take control.

The Arizona State defense only allowed six assists for the Bulldogs, making it hard on the Elis to work the ball around the arc or into the post. Yale also entered the game averaging an Ivy-best 15.6 offensive rebounds per game, but snagged only 11 on Sunday.

Senior guard Sarah Halejian (Wyckoff, N.J.) and freshman guard Tamara Simpson (North Babylon, N.Y.) both scored eight points for the Bulldogs, while junior guard Whitney Wyckoff (West Chester, Ohio) added six of her own.

Phoenix native Katie Werner was able to play in front of her hometown crowd, full of family, friends, and former high school teammates. The sophomore forward scored four points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists in her 18 minutes on the floor.

Redshirt-junior guard Katie Hempen scored 14 points for the Sun Devils, while sophomore center Quinn Dornstauder recorded a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday night when they travel to play the University of Oklahoma in Norman at 8 p.m. (ET).

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity