TEMPE, Ariz. — Even with scrappy shooting, Arizona State (19-5, 6-5 Big 12) found a unique way to beat the Oklahoma State Cowgirls (18-7, 7-5 Big 12) 74-69 during their annual Breast Cancer Awareness game.

Both teams were chucking up shots to begin with, a good portion of which were open looks, yet not many fell.

The team needed a spark to get the ball going, and junior Deborah Davenport did just that. 

Davenport scored 12 points in the first half and was perfect around the board, as she went 4-4 inside the paint, 2-2 from beyond the arc and even 2-2 from the free-throw line.

Head coach Molley Miller said Davenport’s outpouring of doing whatever the team needed was not a surprise.

“I tell ‘em to talk, and she's the loudest,” Miller said. “Deb (Davenport), do all the intangibles.”

She also added that Davenport-type players are the ones she wants to be recruiting. She loves that they embrace a winner's mentality.

Davenport ended the night scoring 18 points, a season-high nine rebounds and one assist. She even had a defensive steal that went out of bounds toward the end of the game to help run down the clock, and a free throw that sealed the game with 6.8 seconds remaining.

Davenport's scoring burst energized the Sun Devils, as junior forward Mikenna Brackens added 20 points, shooting 5-11 from inside and 1-2 from 3-point range.

The Sun Devils dominated in the paint with 28 points inside and amassing a whopping nine blocks.

Yet ASU failed to create a large enough gap down the stretch, as the Cowgirls made it close, partially in part to ASU’s 15 turnovers. 

Oklahoma State got to within three points with under a minute to go.

Secret weapons were key to the team's victory, and Miller said they are what is needed in the highly competitive Big 12.

“You can see the weapon that Deb (Davenport) can be and others can be to hit shots and help our team,” Miller said. “Deb was a threat, so they had to guard her. They couldn't just focus on one or two more players on the court, so I think that helps spread the ball around, but also spreads the defense and put some pressure on them when we've got more scorers on the court.”

Miller said that after the Kansas State loss, the team had a defensive reset. She had them analyze the Cowgirls' playing style through film. 

Miller added that doing the exercise and having such a deep Big 12 conference are ways for the team to stay sharp.

“We're talking about margin of error,” Miller said. “Our margin is so small in these games, in any Big 12 games. We've seen it across the board.”

With a month to go in the regular season, Miller said that feistiness will be one of the team’s keys to success.

“We said the tougher team, the team that fights the most, will win this game,” Miller said.

Wednesday marked the team's first quad win of the season. Miller emphasized that as the team pushes for a postseason spot, these games can sway the outcome of the season.

“I've told them, we can win every single game we play in this conference, or we can lose every single game in this conference moving forward,” Miller said. “So now the decision is up to us, and they really took the messaging to heart. The team wants to win, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

The victory over the Cowgirls put the Sun Devils one game away from winning at least 20 games in a season, which would be the first time they’d do so since 2020.

ASU hits the road down to the Lone Star State as they take on the Baylor Bears Saturday, Feb. 7, before coming back home for a tilt with the Utah Utes on Wednesday, Feb. 11.