WHEN: Thursday at 11:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. MT
WHERE: MGM Grand Garden Arena • Las Vegas
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Mountain
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060/TuneIn
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The No. 20 Arizona State women's basketball team (19-9, 10-7 Pac-12/No. 5 seed) begins play in the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday (11:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. MT) when it faces Colorado (12-17, 2-16 Pac-12 - No. 12 seed) in the first of four first round games at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The winner will face the No. 4 seed, UCLA, in the quarterfinals at the same time on Friday.
ASU's journey through the Pac-12 season included numerous down-to-the-wire games, a canceled contest and not one, but two chances to pass through the sequence of games that came to be known in Pac-12 parlance as, 'the gauntlet': facing the Bay Area and Oregon schools in consecutive weeks.
After dropping their first Pac-12 contest at Arizona (51-39), ASU bounced back with wins at then-unbeaten Utah (Devils ended game with 8-0 run to win 65-63 on Reili Richardson's buzzer beater) and at Colorado. After falling to Stanford at home, ASU edged Cal 62-61 (two defensive stops in the final seconds secured the win). ASU then fell at Oregon 77-71 before securing its first win over a Top 10 team in a 79-76 double-OT thriller at then-No. 10 Oregon State (Kianna Ibis scored 21 of her season-high 28 points in the 2nd half and OT). The big win was followed by 61-59 loss to UCLA (Bruins hit a 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds for the win). For the fourth straight Sunday ASU would need to come up with a win to avoid being swept. Once again it came through, this time with a 68-59 win over USC. The win over the Trojans started a five-game winning streak that also included wins vs. Arizona, at WSU, vs. Colorado and vs. Utah. In the midst of that run, ASU had its game at Washington scheduled for Feb. 9 canceled due to inclement weather in Seattle. ASU's win in the rematch against Utah included another comeback, this one was an improbable 20-0 run to close out the game that allowed ASU to rally from an 18-point deficit. The following weekend would see ASU drop back-to-back games for the only time this season: 69-60 at Cal and 71-50 at Stanford. The Sun Devils concluded Pac-12 play with their second upset win over then- No. 9 Oregon State, 66-54, before coming up short of a second consecutive upset, falling 66-59 to No. 6 Oregon in the season finale.
This will be the third meeting of the season between the Sun Devils and Buffaloes. In the first meeting Ibis scored 27 points to lead the Sun Devils to a 76-70 win in Boulder. The Sun Devils hit 54.5 percent of their shots (24-44) over the last 30 minutes of the game after finding the mark on just 30 percent of their shots in the first quarter. In the rematch, won by ASU 66-49 on Feb. 15 in Tempe, Ibis scored a game-high 18 points and came one rebound short of a double-double. Courtney Ekmark (6-9 FGs) added 14 points for the Sun Devils. Ibis (nine rebounds), Sophia Elenga (four points, nine rebounds) and Charnea Johnson-Chapman (eight points, seven rebounds, three assists) helped ASU finish with advantages of plus-eight on the boards (42-34) and plus-11 in second-chance points (18-7).
With their next win the Sun Devils will reach the 20-win mark for the sixth straight season (2014 - 23, 2015 - 29, 2016 - 26, 2017 - 20, 2018 - 22), which would set a new school record. ASU's current standard of five straight 20-win seasons was also accomplished from 2005-09 (2005 - 24, 2006 - 25, 2007 - 31, 2008 - 22, 2009 - 26). Current ASU assistant coach Briann January played the last four seasons of that streak.
COVERAGE
Thursday's game vs. Colorado can be seen on Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Mountain (Ann Schatz/Tammy Blackburn/Jill Savage). It can also be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Sports Network's TuneIn Channel. Pregame coverage will start at noon in the Valley. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 and 2018 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 15th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
RANKINGS/RPI/BRACKETOLGY
• After last week's split against the Oregon schools, the Sun Devils moved up one spot to No. 20 in the AP poll and remained at No. 20 in the coaches poll.
• The Sun Devils have bounced between 13th and 20th in the NCAA RPI since defeating then-unbeaten Utah on Jan. 4. They were listed at No. 20 on Mar. 5.
• ESPN.com's Charlie Creme had the Sun Devils listed as a No. 6 seed in his most recent Bracketology update (Mar. 3). Between Jan. 28-Feb. 19 he had ASU listed as a No. 5 seed. After dropping consecutive games in the Bay Area ASU fell to a No. 8 seed. He had ASU as a No. 3 seed on Jan. 21, prior to ASU's loss vs. UCLA (Jan. 25).
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• As of Feb. 25, ASU is ranked among the nation's top 35 in fewest TOs per game (13th/12.0), assist-TO ratio (14th/1.31) and rebound margin (34th/+6.6).
• Senior post Kianna Ibis, now a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, has scored in double figures in all but 4 games this season. In Pac-12 games she finished the regular season among the top 15 in the league in scoring (16.1 ppg/12th) and rebounds (7.3 rpg/10th). Ibis, who has scored 20 or more points 8x this season, has averaged 17.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg and is shooting 50 percent in ASU's 9 games vs. ranked teams.
• Currently No. 2 on the team in scoring (10.0 ppg), senior G and 2019 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree Courtney Ekmark has knocked down 3 or more 3-pointers 9x this season. She's currently 9th on ASU's career 3-pointers list with 111.
• Junior G Reili Richardson is No. 2 in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio. Currently with 424 career assists, Richardson is in 4th place on ASU's all-time list for career assists. She needs 18 more for 3rd place (441/Jodi Rathbun – 1983-86), 59 more for 2nd place (483/Elisha Davis – 2013-16) and 111 more to surpass current ASU assistant coach Briann January (534/2006-09) for the top spot.
• ASU has held opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 35x this season (single digits 20x) and outrebounded the opposition all but 4x (vs. Baylor/vs. Cal/vs. UCLA/vs. Oregon).
• ASU has had 6 different players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Ibis (14x), Ekmark (10x), Elenga (2x), Richardson (2x), Ruden (1x), and Johnson-Chapman (1x).
• ASU has knocked down 8 or more 3-pointers 7x, something it did 4x last season.
• ASU has had 10 or fewer turnovers 9x this season.
• ASU has had the same starting lineup – Richardson/Ryan/Ekmark/Ibis/Johnson-Chapman – in its last 57 games (going back to Nov. 25, 2017).
• ASU's bench has more than doubled opponents in points per game, 23.3-11.5.
• ASU is 5-2 this season in games decided by 5 points or less. It prevailed in its first road game at Arkansas 88-85 (Nov. 18). ASU came up short in its upset bid of No. 3 Louisville as the Cardinals scored in the final seconds to escape with a 58-56 win at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout (Nov. 23). ASU overcame a six-point deficit with an 8-0 run in the final 80 seconds of its 65-63 win at Utah (Jan. 4). ASU came up with a pair of defensive stops in the final seconds in its 62-61 win over Cal (Jan. 13). On Jan. 20 ASU went to 2OTs to upset then-No. 10 Oregon State, 79-76 in Corvallis. On Jan. 25 UCLA hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds left and the Sun Devils fell at home, 61-59. On Feb. 17, the Sun Devils closed with a 20-0 run over the last 7:45 of regulation to erase an 18-point deficit and defeat the Utah 60-58.
• ASU swept the regular season series over Oregon State –79-76 in 2OT in Corvallis and 66-54 in Tempe – for the first time since the 2010-11 season... In both of its losses to Oregon – 77-71 in Eugene and 66-59 in Tempe – ASU was within 3 points or less in the final 90 seconds... ASU also nearly pulled off upsets over then-No. 4 Baylor (L, 59-65) and then-No. 5 Louisville (L, 56-58), losing the 2 games by a combined 9 points.
NOTES VERSUS COLORADO
The Sun Devils have won 12 of the last 14 meetings, including the last 10 in a row. The Sun Devils dropped their first eight meetings to Colorado with the last of those losses coming in 1987. ASU won both meetings last season, coming out on top 72-47 in Boulder and 73-59 in Tempe. Sophia Elenga (17 points), Jamie Ruden (13 points) and Courtney Ekmark (11 points) combined for 41 points in the first meeting while Kianna Ibis (24 points) and Ekmark (16 points) were ASU's top scorers in the rematch... Former Sun Devil Alex Earl (2009-12) is an assistant coach on Colorado's staff.
IBIS, EKMARK AND MBULITO EARN PAC-12 HONORS
Arizona State University women's basketball players Kianna Ibis, Courtney Ekmark and Iris Mbulito were recognized by the Pac-12 on Tuesday as the conference announced its annual awards for the 2018-19 season as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Ibis was named to the conference's 15-member All-Pac-12 Team for the second straight season and also earned Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention honors, Ekmark was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Mbulito earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention recognition.
Ibis currently leads the team in scoring (14.6 ppg), steals (1.2 spg) and blocks (0.6 bpg) and is second in rebounds (6.6 rpg). ASU's active career leader in points (1,121), rebs (538), steals (99) and blocks (52), Ibis Is averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg and is shooting 50 percent in ASU's nine games this season vs. ranked teams. For the season, Ibis has scored 20 or more points eight times and has grabbed seven or more rebounds 15 times, including season-highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds in upset of No. 10 Oregon State (Jan. 20).
ASU's top perimeter shooter, Ekmark currently leads the team in 3-pointers (53 - 12th in Pac-12), is second in scoring (10.0 ppg) and steals (0.8 spg), third in assists (1.7 apg) and fourth in rebounds (3.0 rpg). Ekmark, who is currently a second-year law student at ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (earned undergrad in three years with 4.0 GPA), has buried three or more 3-pointers nine times this season. She was ASU's leading scorer (13.0 ppg) during its season-best seven-game winning streak to end non-conference play.
Currently third on the team in assists (1.7 apg) and fourth in steals (0.7 spg), Mbulito scored a season-high 13 points to go with four assists in ASU's win at Arkansas (Nov. 18). Two of Mbulito's most impactful performances came against Oregon State. In the first meeting in Corvallis, she scored nine points to go with five rebounds and two steals in helping ASU upset then-No. 10 OSU. In the rematch last Friday, Mbulito notched her third double-figure scoring effort of the season, accounting for 10 points in ASU's second upset of the Beavers, who were No. 9 in the nation coming into the game.
SNOW DAY
• ASU played only 17 Pac-12 games this season after having its contest at Washington (scheduled for Feb. 9) canceled due to inclement weather that was forecast in Seattle. The last time ASU played only six games in the month of February – the number it ended up playing – was 1985-86, the year before the start of the Pac-10/12 era for women's basketball.