Jaddan Simmons' 22 points including a pair of game-winning free-throws helped the Sun Devils opened the Natasha Adair era with a 69-68 victory over Northern
“Never in a million years did I think we’d be doing this again,” said Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne.
The Sun Devils will make their Pac-12 debut four weeks into the conference schedule on Friday night in Tempe against No. 22 Colorado.
Their 8-5 record also includes six Pac-12 postponements and a COVID-pause that began following a December 30 nonconference finale against Lipscomb.
It’s been a weeks-long odyssey of positive tests, contact tracing and watching a hunk of the season pass them by.
Notebook: Steven Hile provides extra inside presence for Pickerington North Panthers
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Pickerington North boys basketball coach Jason Bates knew he would play four guards most of the time this season, but expected to have 6-foot-5 senior center Elijah Hawk as an anchor inside.
When Hawk, a Western Michigan football recruit, temporarily left the team early in the season, the role of big man was passed to 6-4 junior center Steven Hile.
Acting largely as a defensive presence, Hile averaged 4.6 points and 8.0 rebounds through four games as North was 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the OCC-Ohio Division before playing New Albany on Jan. 8.