3 Winners From ASU's Overtime Win Over Arizona

The Sun Devils continued their winning ways in Tucson on Saturday behind strong play in the clutch.

Arizona State Sun Devils forward McKinna Brackens (21) is pressured by Arizona Wildcats guard Mireia Jurado (8) on Jan. 28, 2026, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils moved to 21-6 and 8-6 in the Big 12 on Saturday afternoon following a dramatic 75-69 win over Arizona that was won in a five-minute overtime period.

The Sun Devils faced adversity going into the game, as starting guard Last-Tear Poa was ruled out on Friday night's player availability report - although the squad pulled through to secure another key win.

Arizona State on SI names three major winners from the contest in Tucson below.

Arizona State Stars

Arizona State's season has been highlighted by a balanced, well-coached roster that plays well together.

Ultimately, the team knows where the ball is going in crunch time despite the interconnected nature of the main rotation - McKinna Brackens and Gabby Elliott delivered in incredible fashion.

Brackens knocked down a pull-up mid-range jump shot with just 3.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that sent the game to overtime, while Elliott knocked down a three-point look on the wing off of a Brackens assist to put Arizona State up 70-67 at the 2:18 mark of overtime.

Elliott finished with 22 points that was rooted in an efficient 4-8 mark from behind the arc, while Brackens paced the team with 24 points - also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Kansas State Wildcats forward Nastja Claessens (4) steals the ball away from ASU Sun Devils forward McKinna Brackens (21) at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Molly Miller

The first year of the new era under Miller's leadership continues to be a resounding success.

The win over Arizona not only marked the first time the program's bitter rival had been swept since the 2017-18 season, it also meant Miller became the most successful first-year coach in the history of the program - winning 21 games and counting to this point.

Miller's hard-nosed philosophy, intentional roster building, and curation of a battle-tested staff have translated to the Sun Devils becoming a serious competitor in the Big 12 instantly - after years of struggles that were previously endured.

Arizona State's Tournament Chances

The Sun Devils came into the weekend firmly on the tournament bubble, with ESPN's Charlie Creme placing them in "last four in" territory.

A loss would have been disastrous for the Sun Devils' tournament profile, as they already lost to Cincinnati going into the matchup. Avoiding this loss continued to add to their lofty win total, while also steadying the overall metrics that measure whether or not they are a tournament-level squad.

Arizona State returns to action on Wednesday night against Audi Crooks and Iowa State in what will be another opportunity to pick up a massive win.

ASU Sun Devils guard Marley Washenitz (11) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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