TEMPE, Ariz. – Contests vs. NCAA finalist Mississippi State, NCAA regional finalist Florida State and NCAA Tournament participant Green Bay highlight the Arizona State women's basketball team's 2017 non-conference schedule, announced by head coach Charli Turner Thorne on Thursday.
The Sun Devils will play 12 non-conference games, including four contests against teams that qualified for postseason play last March. In addition to the aforementioned NCAA Tournament teams, ASU will also face 2017 Women's Basketball Invitational semifinalist Idaho in what will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Sun Devils could face a fifth opponent that was involved in postseason play if they end up taking on 2017 WNIT participant UNLV on the second day of the annual ASU Classic.
The Sun Devils will open the 2017-18 season on Nov. 12 when they host UTSA. After its first road game at Fresno State (Nov. 15), ASU will return to Tempe for back-to-back home contests vs. Sacramento State (Nov. 18) and Colgate (Nov. 19). The Sun Devils will then head back out on the road for the Cancun Challenge where they will face Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23), Green Bay (Nov. 24) and Columbia (Nov. 25). The game vs. Columbia will conclude a stretch for ASU in which it will have played five games in eight days.
The Sun Devils will kick off the second month of non-conference play with the annual ASU Classic (Dec. 2-3) that will feature Buffalo, UC Riverside and UNLV. ASU will open the tournament against Buffalo and will face either UC Riverside or UNLV the following day.
One week later (Dec. 10) ASU will play its final road non-conference game when it travels to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on Florida State in what will be the third meeting in four seasons between the two squads. The Sun Devils will then close out non-conference play with home games vs. Idaho (Dec. 18) and Arkansas (Dec. 21).
The Sun Devils will look to continue their recent unprecedented success in non-conference play. Going back to the 1986-87 season – the first season of Pac-10/Pac-12 play – ASU's 40 regular-season, non-conference wins from 2013-14 to 2016-17 are by far the most in a four-season stretch in program history (the next highest total is 33 games done three times: 2003-06/2004-07/2005-08). In addition, ASU's 40 wins leading up to the start of conference play are more than any other team in the Pac-12 the last four seasons.
The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute. Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach in March, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign start at just $49. Deposits are now being accepted so fans can secure their seats for all the action. For more information call 480-965-5812.
See below for info on each of ASU's 2017 non-conference opponents.
vs. UTSA – Sun., Nov. 12 • 2016-17 record: 14-16
ASU has won all three of its previous games vs. UTSA. This will be the first meeting since 2005.
at Fresno State – Wed., Nov. 15 • 2016-17 record: 18-15
The Bulldogs came up just short of claiming an NCAA Tournament berth after falling to Boise State in the final of the Mountain West Championship. ASU is undefeated in two contests vs. Fresno State, winning in 2005 and again in Tempe in 2007.
vs. Sacramento State – Sat., Nov. 18 • 2016-17 record: 10-20
The first of consecutive home games on back-to-back days for the Sun Devils. Begins a stretch in which ASU will play five games in eight days. ASU won the only meeting between the two schools in 1991 in a game that was played at Florida International's Fun in the Sun Tournament in Miami, Fla.
vs. Colgate – Sun., Nov. 19 • 2016-17 record: 10-20
Will be the third all-time meeting between the two schools. ASU won both prior meetings (1990 and 1994).
vs. Mississippi State at Cancun Challenge – Thurs., Nov. 23 • 2016-17 record: 34-5/NCAA Finalist
ASU will open the 2017 Cancun Challenge with a Thanksgiving Day game against NCAA finalist Mississippi State, the first of three games the Sun Devils will play in three days. Coincidentally, ASU's only meeting against Mississippi State occurred at the 2005 Cancun Challenge, a contest won by the Sun Devils 70-48.
vs. Green Bay at Cancun Challenge – Fri., Nov. 24 • 2016-17 record: 27-6/NCAA First Round
ASU will face Green Bay for the second time in four years after the Phoenix edged the Sun Devils 63-57 at the 2014 Gulf Coast Challenge in Estero, Fla.
vs. Columbia at Cancun Challenge – Sat., Nov. 25 • 2016-17 record: 13-14
Like Green Bay, Columbia will be another relatively familiar foe as the Sun Devils defeated the Lions 70-49 in 2015 in the only prior meeting between the two teams.
vs. Buffalo – Sat., Dec. 2/Round One of ASU Classic/2016-17 record: 22-10
ASU will open its annual home tournament against Buffalo in the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Bulls are coming off a 22-win season, the program's highest win total since 1996-97 when it also won 22 games.
ASU will face UC Riverside or UNLV in Round Two of the ASU Classic on Sun., Dec. 3
UC Riverside • 2016-17 record: 16-15
Would be the fifth all-time meeting against UC Riverside. The most memorable of those contests came in the first meeting in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Then-sophomore and now current Indiana Fever guard/new Sun Devil WBB assistant coach Briann January led ASU with 15 points in helping the third-seeded Sun Devils rally from a 15-point deficit to knock off the upset-minded and No. 14 seed Highlanders.
UNLV • 2016-17 record: 22-11/WNIT First Round
UNLV has won seven of the nine all-time meetings against ASU, however the Sun Devils and Lady Rebels have not met since 2004. UNLV won 22 games last season and earned its highest seed (No. 3) in the Mountain West Championship in six years after posting a 12-6 record in league play.
at Florida State – Sun., Dec. 10 • 2016-17 record: 28-7/NCAA Elite Eight
The Sun Devils will face the Seminoles for the third time in four seasons. The sixth all-time meeting between the two schools will be the first to take place in Tallahassee, Fla. The first four contests took place at neutral sites – includes NCAA Tournament games in 2009 (No. 6 ASU defeated No. 3 FSU in NCAA Second Round in Duluth, Ga.) and 2015 (No. 2 FSU defeated No. 3 ASU by one point in the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C.) – and the most recent was held in Tempe, a game won by the Sun Devils 68-56 on Dec. 21, 2015. Former Sun Devil Arnecia Hawkins was named Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 23 points (13 in the fourth quarter) while making all seven of her field goal attempts (including a trio of 3-pointers) in the win.
vs. Idaho – Mon., Dec. 18 • 2016-17 record: 19-15/WBI Semifinals
Will be the first ever meeting between the Sun Devils and Vandals, who fell one win short of 20 after advancing to the WBI Semifinals last season.
vs. Arkansas – Thurs., Dec. 21 • 2016-17 record: 13-17
ASU closes out its non-conference schedule against SEC foe Arkansas. Although the two programs lack familiarity with one another (Arkansas won the only prior meeting in 1989 in Tempe) the same cannot be said for the opposing head coaches. The Razorbacks will come to Tempe led by first-year head coach Mike Neighbors who spent the last four seasons as head coach of the Washington Huskies.
The Sun Devils will play 12 non-conference games, including four contests against teams that qualified for postseason play last March. In addition to the aforementioned NCAA Tournament teams, ASU will also face 2017 Women's Basketball Invitational semifinalist Idaho in what will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Sun Devils could face a fifth opponent that was involved in postseason play if they end up taking on 2017 WNIT participant UNLV on the second day of the annual ASU Classic.
The Sun Devils will open the 2017-18 season on Nov. 12 when they host UTSA. After its first road game at Fresno State (Nov. 15), ASU will return to Tempe for back-to-back home contests vs. Sacramento State (Nov. 18) and Colgate (Nov. 19). The Sun Devils will then head back out on the road for the Cancun Challenge where they will face Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23), Green Bay (Nov. 24) and Columbia (Nov. 25). The game vs. Columbia will conclude a stretch for ASU in which it will have played five games in eight days.
The Sun Devils will kick off the second month of non-conference play with the annual ASU Classic (Dec. 2-3) that will feature Buffalo, UC Riverside and UNLV. ASU will open the tournament against Buffalo and will face either UC Riverside or UNLV the following day.
One week later (Dec. 10) ASU will play its final road non-conference game when it travels to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on Florida State in what will be the third meeting in four seasons between the two squads. The Sun Devils will then close out non-conference play with home games vs. Idaho (Dec. 18) and Arkansas (Dec. 21).
The Sun Devils will look to continue their recent unprecedented success in non-conference play. Going back to the 1986-87 season – the first season of Pac-10/Pac-12 play – ASU's 40 regular-season, non-conference wins from 2013-14 to 2016-17 are by far the most in a four-season stretch in program history (the next highest total is 33 games done three times: 2003-06/2004-07/2005-08). In addition, ASU's 40 wins leading up to the start of conference play are more than any other team in the Pac-12 the last four seasons.
The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute. Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach in March, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign start at just $49. Deposits are now being accepted so fans can secure their seats for all the action. For more information call 480-965-5812.
See below for info on each of ASU's 2017 non-conference opponents.
vs. UTSA – Sun., Nov. 12 • 2016-17 record: 14-16
ASU has won all three of its previous games vs. UTSA. This will be the first meeting since 2005.
at Fresno State – Wed., Nov. 15 • 2016-17 record: 18-15
The Bulldogs came up just short of claiming an NCAA Tournament berth after falling to Boise State in the final of the Mountain West Championship. ASU is undefeated in two contests vs. Fresno State, winning in 2005 and again in Tempe in 2007.
vs. Sacramento State – Sat., Nov. 18 • 2016-17 record: 10-20
The first of consecutive home games on back-to-back days for the Sun Devils. Begins a stretch in which ASU will play five games in eight days. ASU won the only meeting between the two schools in 1991 in a game that was played at Florida International's Fun in the Sun Tournament in Miami, Fla.
vs. Colgate – Sun., Nov. 19 • 2016-17 record: 10-20
Will be the third all-time meeting between the two schools. ASU won both prior meetings (1990 and 1994).
vs. Mississippi State at Cancun Challenge – Thurs., Nov. 23 • 2016-17 record: 34-5/NCAA Finalist
ASU will open the 2017 Cancun Challenge with a Thanksgiving Day game against NCAA finalist Mississippi State, the first of three games the Sun Devils will play in three days. Coincidentally, ASU's only meeting against Mississippi State occurred at the 2005 Cancun Challenge, a contest won by the Sun Devils 70-48.
vs. Green Bay at Cancun Challenge – Fri., Nov. 24 • 2016-17 record: 27-6/NCAA First Round
ASU will face Green Bay for the second time in four years after the Phoenix edged the Sun Devils 63-57 at the 2014 Gulf Coast Challenge in Estero, Fla.
vs. Columbia at Cancun Challenge – Sat., Nov. 25 • 2016-17 record: 13-14
Like Green Bay, Columbia will be another relatively familiar foe as the Sun Devils defeated the Lions 70-49 in 2015 in the only prior meeting between the two teams.
vs. Buffalo – Sat., Dec. 2/Round One of ASU Classic/2016-17 record: 22-10
ASU will open its annual home tournament against Buffalo in the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Bulls are coming off a 22-win season, the program's highest win total since 1996-97 when it also won 22 games.
ASU will face UC Riverside or UNLV in Round Two of the ASU Classic on Sun., Dec. 3
UC Riverside • 2016-17 record: 16-15
Would be the fifth all-time meeting against UC Riverside. The most memorable of those contests came in the first meeting in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Then-sophomore and now current Indiana Fever guard/new Sun Devil WBB assistant coach Briann January led ASU with 15 points in helping the third-seeded Sun Devils rally from a 15-point deficit to knock off the upset-minded and No. 14 seed Highlanders.
UNLV • 2016-17 record: 22-11/WNIT First Round
UNLV has won seven of the nine all-time meetings against ASU, however the Sun Devils and Lady Rebels have not met since 2004. UNLV won 22 games last season and earned its highest seed (No. 3) in the Mountain West Championship in six years after posting a 12-6 record in league play.
at Florida State – Sun., Dec. 10 • 2016-17 record: 28-7/NCAA Elite Eight
The Sun Devils will face the Seminoles for the third time in four seasons. The sixth all-time meeting between the two schools will be the first to take place in Tallahassee, Fla. The first four contests took place at neutral sites – includes NCAA Tournament games in 2009 (No. 6 ASU defeated No. 3 FSU in NCAA Second Round in Duluth, Ga.) and 2015 (No. 2 FSU defeated No. 3 ASU by one point in the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C.) – and the most recent was held in Tempe, a game won by the Sun Devils 68-56 on Dec. 21, 2015. Former Sun Devil Arnecia Hawkins was named Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 23 points (13 in the fourth quarter) while making all seven of her field goal attempts (including a trio of 3-pointers) in the win.
vs. Idaho – Mon., Dec. 18 • 2016-17 record: 19-15/WBI Semifinals
Will be the first ever meeting between the Sun Devils and Vandals, who fell one win short of 20 after advancing to the WBI Semifinals last season.
vs. Arkansas – Thurs., Dec. 21 • 2016-17 record: 13-17
ASU closes out its non-conference schedule against SEC foe Arkansas. Although the two programs lack familiarity with one another (Arkansas won the only prior meeting in 1989 in Tempe) the same cannot be said for the opposing head coaches. The Razorbacks will come to Tempe led by first-year head coach Mike Neighbors who spent the last four seasons as head coach of the Washington Huskies.