Feb. 18, 2013
UP NEXT
The Arizona State women's basketball team plays its final regular season road game on Tuesday (7 p.m. MT) when it takes on in-state rival Arizona. Tuesday's game will be the first of two meetings between the two schools in the span of six days. The rematch will take place on Sunday (1 p.m.) at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.
The Sun Devils (11-15, 3-11 Pac-12) will be looking to snap a losing streak which was extended to seven games following a pair of eight-point home losses over the weekend to Utah (54-46) and current No. 20 Colorado (71-63).
Sophomore guard Promise Amukamara (10.5 ppg) and junior guard Adrianne Thomas (10.0 ppg) combined to average 20.5 points in the two games to lead the Sun Devils on offense while redshirt junior center Joy Burke averaged 10.5 rebounds. Amukamara, Thomas and redshirt senior forward Janae Fulcher each scored 14 points against Colorado.
Sunday's loss against the Buffaloes was in some ways a microcosm of the season as the young Sun Devils had several flashes of brilliance against one of the conference's/nation's top teams - shot 48 percent in the first half and led by 12 early in the second half - tempered with some of the growing pains that come with youth and inexperience - shot 30 percent in the second half while going more than seven minutes without a basket during a 16-1 Colorado run.
ASU's current losing streak began with a 54-50 loss at current No. 17 UCLA on Jan. 27. In that game the Sun Devils held the Bruins, who at the time were leading the Pac-12 in scoring offense (71.4 ppg), 17.4 points below their scoring average. ASU has held three opponents to 54 points during the streak. On Sunday, the Sun Devils proved what they are capable of on the offensive end as they became only the third Pac-12 team (Stanford and UCLA) to score 60 or more points against a Colorado team which came into the game allowing a Pac-12 low 52.0 ppg in conference games.
Like the Sun Devils, Arizona (12-13, 4-10 Pac-12) has had its share of difficulties navigating its way through what has proven to be a much-improved Pac-12 in 2012-13. In its most recent game against Utah on Sunday, the Wildcats snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 61-52 win. Senior guard Davellyn Whyte, who is No. 5 in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.2 ppg), scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win.
After Tuesday's game, the Sun Devils will play their final three regular season games at home starting with Sunday's rematch against Arizona. ASU will then host UCLA (Fri., Mar. 1) and USC (Sun., Mar 3) next week before heading to Seattle, Wash., for the 2013 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament.
TELEVISION/RADIO
Tuesday's game at Arizona can be seen live on Pac-12 Networks. Jim Watson and Rosalyn Gold-Onwude will call the game.
Tuesday's game can also be heard live on The Fan AM 1060. Pre-game coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his ninth season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
ASU has spent much of the season on the road (14 of 26 games and soon to be 15 of 27) as it played six of its first nine regular season games away from home and on Feb. 8 completed a stretch in which it played eight of its first 12 Pac-12 games on the road. The Sun Devils captured their first road win in conference play on Jan. 25, defeating USC 60-53. They followed that up with a near upset of then-No. 19 UCLA, before falling to the Bruins, 54-50.
Seven of ASU's losses have been by eight or fewer points. ASU either led or was tied in the second half in eight of their losses.
ASU has had the same starting lineup in all but five games this season (G - Promise Amukamara, G - Micaela Pickens, F - Janae Fulcher, C - Joy Burke). Freshman G Arnecia Hawkins made her first career start (in place of Pickens) in ASU's game at Utah (Jan. 20). Hawkins also started in place of Pickens at UCLA on Jan. 27 and again at Stanford on Feb. 10. Elisha Davis and Eliza Normen both made their first career start vs. Washington (Feb. 3). Normen got the starting nod again (in place of Janae Fulcher - ill) at No. 6 Cal (Feb. 8). Amukamara is the only player to start every games this season.
ASU has shot better than 50 percent four times this season, already exceeding the number of times it shot above 50 percent last season (3 times).
ASU has had 14 or fewer turnovers seven times in its 12 last games. ASU has averaged only 11 turnovers in its last three contests.
As of Feb. 18, ASU ranks in the top half of the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (fourth, .687), assists (t-fifth, 13.0 apg), scoring defense (fifth, 59.4 ppg), rebounding margin (sixth, +1.8), field goal percentage (sixth, .390) and rebounding defense (sixth, 35.9 rpg)
ASU's bench has scored 25 or more points 10 times this season. Leading the way are freshmen Haley Videckis (6.0 ppg) and Arnecia Hawkins (5.7 ppg). Hawkins, who currently leads ASU in 3-point field goals (24), scored a season/career-best 18 points vs. Washington State (Feb. 1). Videckis has scored a season/career-best 11 points four times this season, including twice in consecutive road games earlier this month - at No. 6 Cal and at No. 4 Stanford.
The Sun Devils have had 15 or more assists 10 times this season. They recorded a season-best 23 assists vs. San Diego (Dec. 12). Adrianne Thomas (2.8 apg - 12th) is currently among the Pac-12's leaders in assists.
ASU's five-game winning streak earlier this season (snapped by Washington on Jan. 4) represented the 19th time since 2001 the Sun Devils have had a winning streak of five or more games.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne became the third Pac-12 coach to win at least 300 games when the Sun Devils defeated USC 60-53 in Los Angeles on Jan. 25. Turner Thorne, who coached Northern Arizona for three seasons (40-40 record) prior to coming to ASU, needs 10 more wins to reach 350 career victories.
SERIES NOTES VS. ARIZONA (ASU LEADS 50-26)
The Sun Devils have won 16 of the last 18 meetings. Their 11-game winning streak in the series was snapped by the Wildcats in 2011 in Tucson, 73-61. ASU's recent dominance aside, the games between the two schools have been extremely competitive as six of the last 12 contests have been decided by eight points or less. Last season the Sun Devils won all three meetings against UA: 60-45 in Tempe, 70-63 in Tucson and 68-53 in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.
IN CASE YOU ARE JUST JOINING US...
This season the Sun Devils return a young team - eight of 11 players on the current active roster are in their first or second year in the program.
Starting senior guard Deja Mann (the team's returning leading scorer from last season) is redshirting this season after suffering a knee injury in September.
Also sitting out this season is Katie Hempen who transferred to ASU last spring from SIUE. In 2012, Hempen was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and was a member of the All-Newcomer team.
ASU won seven of eight games, including five in a row, prior to the start of Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils then lost their first two Pac-12 games at the Washington schools before rebounding the following week with home wins vs. Oregon and Oregon State. ASU went back on the road and dropped contests to Colorado (57-43) and Utah (66-46). ASU led Colorado at the half and led by five early in the second half before its offense went cold. One week later in Los Angeles, ASU overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat USC 60-53. The Sun Devils, who did not have any players score in double figures, outscored the Trojans 40-17 and shot 59 percent in the second half. Two days later, ASU nearly upset then-No. 19 UCLA, before falling to the Bruins 54-50. ASU held UCLA, which came into the game No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (71.4 ppg), 17.4 points below its scoring average.
Led by as many as 22 in eventual 74-58 win over Florida.
Seven losses have been by eight points or less. Three of those seven those losses came to ranked teams (current AP ranking): vs. Dayton (14) - 59-65 on Dec. 2; at UCLA (17) - 50-54 on Jan. 27 and vs. Colorado (20) - 63-71 on Feb. 17. ASU led by 14 against Dayton and led by 12 against Colorado.
Leading scorer Janae Fulcher (head injury) did not play the last 30+ minutes of ASU's 60-54 loss at UTEP. She also did not play (ill) in ASU's 66-53 loss at No. 6 Cal (Feb. 8).
Starting guard Micaela Pickens was injured and forced to miss time in ASU's losses at UTEP and at Washington State and did not play at all in ASU's 54-50 loss at UCLA.
ASU was without starting point guard Adrianne Thomas and forward Haley Videckis in its loss to Washington on Feb. 3.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
Janae Fulcher has scored in double figures 13 times this season. Fulcher set new career highs in points (26) and field goals (13) in ASU's 74-58 win over Florida (Nov. 25) in the championship game of the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas. Fulcher leads the team and is No. 5 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (.519). She recorded her second career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) at Washington (Jan. 4) and led ASU in scoring with 23 points at WSU (Jan. 6). She did not play due to illness in ASU's 66-53 loss at No. 6 Cal (Feb. 8).
Micaela Pickens is currently second on the team in blocks (0.7 bpg) and third in 3-point field goals made (20) and assists (1.9 apg). In December Pickens had a four-game stretch (@Providence, @BC, vs. USD, vs. Longwood) in which she averaged 12.5 points and shot 61 percent (19-31) from the field including 65 percent (11-17) from 3-point range. She had a career-high six assists at Washington (Jan. 4). Has played most of the conference season with foot injury, which originally occurred at Washington State (Jan. 6). The injury would cause her to miss ASU's game at UCLA (Jan. 27).
Currently ASU's leader in steals (1.8 spg) and free throw percentage (among players with 60+ attempts - .836) and second on the team in scoring (7.8 ppg), Promise Amukamara shot 55 percent from the floor (16-29 FGs) during ASU's five-game winning streak in December. She posted career highs in points (15) and field goals (six) in ASU's win over Idaho State (Dec. 30). She scored all nine of her points (tied for the team lead) in the second half of ASU's 60-53 come-from-behind win over USC (Jan. 25). Over the last seven games, Amukamara is second on the team lead in both rebounding (4.6 rpg) and offensive rebounds (13). She scored 14 points (one point short of matching her career high) in ASU's loss to No. 21 Colorado (Feb. 17).
Adrianne Thomas, ASU's leader in assists (2.8 apg), had a career-high eight assists vs. San Diego (Dec. 12). Earlier this season she scored a career-high 16 points at UTEP (Nov. 18). She shot 80 percent from the floor (8-10 FGs) and averaged 10.5 points in back-to-back games vs. Idaho State (Dec. 30) and at Washington (Jan. 4). She grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at Washington State (Jan. 6) and again at UCLA (Jan. 27). Thomas, who missed her first game as a Sun Devil (injured) vs. Washington (Feb. 3), is shooting 83 percent (24-29) from the free throw line in her last eight games.
Joy Burke has six of ASU's seven highest single-game rebounding efforts this season. She has grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds three times. She has scored 14 or more points three times this season, including a career-best 16 points (7-14 FGs) at No. 6 Cal (Feb. 8). Most recently, Burke averaged 10.5 rebounds in ASU's games vs. Utah (11 rebounds) and vs. Colorado (10 rebounds).
Arnecia Hawkins has scored seven or more points 12 times this season, including a season/career-high 18 points vs. Washington State (Feb. 1). She currently leads the team in 3-point field goals (24).
Elisha Davis has had three or more assists 10 times this season, including a career-high six assists at Washington (Jan. 4). She made her first career start vs. Washington (Feb. 3).
Haley Videckis, who currently leads ASU's first-year players in scoring (6.0 ppg) and rebounding (3.5 rpg), has had five or more rebounds eight times this season. Videckis originally set her current career high in scoring (11 points) vs. Idaho State (Dec. 30). She has since matched that on three other occasions: at No. 21 Colorado (Jan. 18), at No. 6 Cal (Feb. 8) and at No. 4 Stanford (Feb. 10).
Eliza Normen, who has played in all 26 games this season, returned after redshirting her freshman season due to injury. She started her first career game vs. Washington (Feb. 3). She would get the starting nod against at Cal (Feb. 8). She had a career-high six rebounds vs. Utah (Feb. 15).
Isidora Purkovic has played in 25 games this season and adds an important element to ASU's perimeter attack (shooting 40 percent from 3-point range/6-15.
After playing a combined 27 minutes the first 18 games of the season, junior F Nisha Barrett came off the bench and gave the Sun Devils a huge lift in their games at USC (Jan. 25) and at UCLA (Jan. 27). Barrett averaged 12.0 minutes in the two games and scored four points in each game, connecting on 67 percent of the shots she took (4-6). She has played in every game since the USC contest.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Throughout Charli Turner Thorne's tenure at Arizona State, the program has been known for having one of toughest schedules in the country on an annual basis and the 2012-13 season has been no different as the Sun Devils faced nine non-conference foes which qualified for postseason play in 2012.
"We have a preseason schedule that is geared toward making us road warriors and toughening us up to prepare for Pac-12 play," Turner Thorne said prior to the season. "We have a stretch in Pac-12 where we have four road games in a row. This schedule is by design. We are on the road a lot this preseason and I think it is only going to make us better and tougher. We need to go in there and be consistent with our effort and our focus."
ASU started the season playing six of its first nine games away from home. The Sun Devils endured a similar stretch at the start of Pac-12 play as they played six of their first eight and eight of their first 12 conference games on the road.
CONFERENCE SUCCESS
The Sun Devil women's basketball program has consistently been among the Pac-12/Pac-10's best for the last several years both on the court and in the classroom...
Since the 2000-01 season ASU is one of only two schools in the Pac-12 to have won both a regular season conference title and the conference tournament title.
ASU's three appearances in the conference title game are tied for second most in the conference since tournament play started in 2002.
ASU has finished third or higher in the Pac-12 nine times since 2001.
Since 2005-06, ASU has led the Pac-12 in the number of conference first-team all-academic awards and the combined number of first- and second-team all-academic awards.
50 AND UNDER EQUALS SUCCESS
One of the cornerstones of ASU's formula for success over the years has been defense. The Sun Devils have held the opposition to 50 or fewer points 80 times since the 2004-05 season, including three times this season. ASU's record in those 80 games is 78-2.
Deja Mann TO REDSHIRT IN 2012-13
The Sun Devils were dealt a serious blow in September when Deja Mann, the team's most experienced player and leading scorer among returners from last year's team, was lost for the season with a knee injury.
A starter in 48 of 95 career games, Mann started all 32 games last season and led ASU in assists (3.4 apg), free throws made (56) and free throw percentage (.812). She finished third on the team in scoring and recorded double figures in points nine times in 2011-12 with seven of those instances coming in the last 15 games of the season. Her 22 points at USC (Feb. 15, 2012) were the most scored by a Sun Devil last season.
SIUE TRANSFER Katie Hempen JOINS ACTIVE ROSTER IN 2013-14
Also redshirting this season (due to NCAA transfer rules) is sophomore guard Katie Hempen. A 5-8 guard, Hempen transferred to ASU last spring from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where last season she was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Freshman of the Year. A four-time OVC Freshman of the Week honoree, Hempen scored in double figures 15 times in 2011-12, including a season-best 19 points on two occasions.
TURNER THORNE RETURNS FOR 16TH SEASON; JOINS ELITE GROUP OF PAC-12 COACHES
Following a one-year sabbatical, Charli Turner Thorne returns for her 16th season as head coach of the Sun Devil women's basketball program.
"I really used [the sabbatical] to grow myself as a person," Turner Thorne said. "I think after 23 straight years in college coaching you can lose yourself a little bit. I worked on becoming a better coach, and in many ways, becoming a better wife, and a better mom and a better me. It was absolutely amazing. I do have a new and even better perspective."
The all-time winningest coach in program history and No. 3 in the Pac-12 in career wins (300), Turner Thorne has turned Sun Devil women's basketball into one of the nation's premiere programs since taking over in 1996-97. Included in ASU's current run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances is a school record five-consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 2005-09. During that time the Sun Devils qualified for the Elite Eight on a pair of occasions, making ASU one of only 15 programs in the country to have qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times since 2007.
On Jan. 25, 2013 Turner Thorne became the third Pac-12 coach to reach 300 victories following ASU's 60-53 win over USC, a game in which ASU came back from 16 down in the second half. A closer look at Turner Thorne's path to 300 puts into perspective the incredible 180-degree turnaround Sun Devil women's basketball has undergone since she came to ASU. To reach 150 wins it took Turner Thorne 272 games (150-122 - .551) as she rebuilt a program that had an aggregate record of 20-60 in the three years prior to her arrival and only two NCAA Tournament wins in its history. It would take her 215 games to get 150 more wins. Since picking up her 150th win, Turner Thorne is 150-72 (.675). Included in those 150 wins are eight of Turner Thorne's 11 NCAA Tournament victories.
Turner Thorne, who coached at NAU for three seasons (40-40 record) prior to arriving at ASU, needs 10 more wins to reach 350 for her career.