On paper it was going to be an easy victory for No. 23 ASU, and the game ended just as anyone would expect.
However, the team all turned the attention to one key factor: effort.
“We almost took this one as a loss,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We didn’t feel like we worked hard enough.”
Arizona State (1-0) defeated Incarnate Word (0-1) 81-43 in Wells Fargo Arena Friday night.
How did a 38-point victory translate to a loss?
One of the bigger showings of effort comes on the defensive end. Redshirt senior forward Courtney Ekmark said that effort did not happen.