WHEN: Friday at 5 p.m. EST/3 p.m. MST
WHERE: Hertz Arena • Estero, Fla.
LIVE STREAM: All the games can be seen via live stream for a fee at www.flohoops.com.
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Arizona State women's basketball team will spend Thanksgiving weekend in Estero, Fla., where it will compete in the Gulf Coast Showcase. ASU will play three games in three days, beginning Friday (5 p.m. EST/3 p.m. MST) when it faces 2019 NCAA Tournament participant Maine.
Depending on Friday's result, ASU will next play either Drake or Purdue on Saturday (time TBD). The Sun Devils will then close out play at the Gulf Coast Showcase on Sunday (time TBD). Depending on how they fare the first two days, the Sun Devils could potentially face No. 23 Gonzaga in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
The Sun Devils come into this weekend's tournament with a 3-1 record. They started the 2019-20 campaign with pair of double-digit home wins, defeating Air Force 87-56 (Nov. 5) and Army 83-51 (Nov. 10). Leading the way were post players senior Ja'Tavia Tapley (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and sophomore Jayde Van Hyfte (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg), who combined to average 26.5 ppg and 13.0 rpg. The duo also combined to shoot 65.6 percent from the floor. Both players had career nights in ASU's win over Army as Tapley scored a career-high 18 points, to go with six rebounds four steals and two assists, while Van Hyfte notched her first career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds).
The Sun Devils came up short in their first road contest of the season, falling at Minnesota 80-66 (Nov. 17). ASU struggled from the floor, hitting only 34 percent of its shots against the Gophers. Tapley (16 points), Taya Hanson (career-high 14 points), Reili Richardson (10 points) and Robbi Ryan (10 points) all scored in double figures for the Sun Devils, who outrebounded the Gophers 43-34.
ASU rebounded with a 66-41 win over Cal Poly on Sunday. For the second time in three games, Tapley posted a career-high in scoring with 23 points while Van Hyfte pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds.
This will be ASU's second appearance at the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Sun Devils finished in third place in 2014, They defeated Villanova 51-46 in the opening game before falling to Green Bay 63-57. ASU rebounded with a 72-67 win over Vanderbilt to close out the tournament on a winning note.
COVERAGE
All ASU's games at the Gulf Coast Showcase can be seen via live stream for a fee at www.flohoops.com. The games can also be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn channel. Pregame coverage for Friday's game will start at 2:30 p.m. MST. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 and 2019 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 16th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• This will be ASU's first meeting against Maine.
• The Sun Devils come into the Gulf Coast Showcase among the nation's leaders in offensive rebounds per game (3rd/20.3), rebound margin (11th/+15.0), steals per game (23rd/12.5 spg), rebounds per game (29th/45.5) and turnover margin (32nd/+6.75).
• As of Nov. 27, ASU ranks among the top third in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds per game (1st/20.5 rpg), rebounding margin (2nd/+15.0), steals (2nd/12.5 spg) and turnover margin (3rd/+6.75) .
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 35.2-12.5.
• Graduate transfer Ja'Tavia Tapley has proven to be a dominant presence thus far. She has played in every game (2 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (17.0 ppg/5th in Pac-12), rebounds (7.5 rpg/7th in Pac-12), field goal percentage (66.7/24-36/3rd in Pac-12/15th in the nation), offensive rebounds (3.7 rpg/3rd in Pac-12), free throw percentage (91.0/20-22/leads Pac-12), and free throws made (20) and attempted (22), is 3rd in steals (1.8 spg) and tied for 4th in assists (1.8 apg). This weekend Tapley will be returning to her home state of Florida where she graduated from University Christian in Jacksonville.
• Senior guard Reili Richardson is currently in third place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (470). She needs 14 assists to pass Elisha Davis (483/2012-15) for second place and 65 more to pass Briann January, ASU's all-time assists leader (534/2006-09).
• Both the coaches and media picked the Sun Devils to finish fifth in the Pac-12... ASU was ranked 20th in the preseason AP poll and 18th in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll. The Sun Devils moved up one spot to 19th in the AP poll after opening with a pair of double-digit wins over Air Force and Army. They fell out of both polls after their 80-66 setback at Minnesota on Nov. 17.
SCOUTING MAINE
Maine returned three starters, 10 letterwinners and six of its top eight scorers its 2019 America East Championship and NCAA Tournament team. The Black Bears were selected as the unanimous top pick in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll to repeat as league champions in 2019-20.
NOTES ON THE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Contests against five – and possibly as many as eight – teams that qualified for postseason play last March highlight the Arizona State women's basketball team's 2019 non-conference schedule.
The Sun Devils will play seven of their non-conference contests at home, including a tilt against 2019 NCAA Tournament participant BYU on Fri., Dec. 6. ASU will also host 2019 WNIT participants Idaho State (Sun., Dec. 8) and New Mexico (Sat., Dec. 14).
Both of ASU's road contests will be against stiff competition. It came out on the short end of an 80-66 decision at 2019 WNIT participant Minnesota on Nov. 17. The Sun Devils' penultimate non-conference game will be at 2019 NCAA entrant New Mexico State (Wed., Dec. 18).
This week, ASU will play three games at the 2019 Gulf Coast Showcase. The field for the Thanksgiving weekend tournament includes Auburn (2019 NCAA First Round), Dayton (2019 WNIT First Round), Drake (2019 NCAA First Round), Gonzaga (2019 NCAA Second Round), Maine (2019 NCAA First Round), Middle Tennessee (2019 WNIT Second Round) and Purdue. ASU will open tournament play against Maine on Nov. 29.
ASU is 61-12 (.836) in non-conference play since 2013.
GRAD TRANSFER JA'TAVIA TAPLEY HAS IMMEDIATE IMPACT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team added a strong post player during the offseason when Charli Turner Thorne announced that Ja'Tavia Tapley was joining the program as a grad transfer from USC. A 6-3 forward, Tapley started 41 games at USC the last three seasons, including 26 contests during the 2018-19 season.
Tapley has already provided the Sun Devils with a strong presence on both ends of the floor as she currently leads the team in scoring (17.0 ppg/5th in Pac-12), rebounds (7.5 rpg/7th in Pac-12), field goal percentage (66.7/24-36/3rd in Pac-12/15th in the nation), offensive rebounds (3.7 rpg/3rd in Pac-12), free throw percentage (91.0/20-22/leads Pac-12), and free throws made (20) and attempted (22), is 3rd in steals (1.8 spg) and tied for 4th in assists (1.8 apg). Tapley scored 11 points and led team with eight rebounds in her first appearance as a Sun Devil in season opener vs. Air Force (Nov. 5). She followed that with a career-high 18 points to go with six rebounds, four steals and two assists in 15 minutes of play in win over Army (Nov. 10).
Tapley started 26 of 30 games in 2018-19 and averaged 6.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures four times and pulled down seven or more rebounds 10 times. Tapley averaged 12.0 points in USC's two games against Colorado, accounting for a career-high 14 points in the first meeting. Against Pac-12 champion and Final Four participant Oregon, Tapley had 13 points and seven boards. She posted season highs in rebounds (nine) and steals (four) against NCAA Tournament participant Texas A&M.
REILI RICHARDSON GUIDES NEAR FLAWLESS ATTACK
One of the biggest reasons for ASU's outstanding execution on the offensive end over the last three seasons is the play of senior guard Reili Richardson. In 2018, Richardson's exceptional play at the point helped the Sun Devils shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.3). Richardson concluded the 2017-18 season ranked No. 4 in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio (3.46). Last season Richardson finished No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and led the team and finished 6th in the Pac-12 in assists (5.0 apg). Richardson is currently in third place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (470). She needs 14 assists to pass Elisha Davis (483/2012-15) for second place and 65 more to pass Briann January, ASU's all-time assists leader (534/2006-09).
WHERE WE STARTED
The Sun Devils finished 15th in the nation in 2018-19, setting school records for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (six) and 20-win seasons (six). ASU won a pair of games in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since 2005.
The Sun Devils returned two starters this season in the form of guards Reili Richardson (started 89 of 101 games entering 2019-20) and Robbi Ryan (started 74 of 101 games entering 2019-20). ASU's three-year starter at point guard, Richardson concluded the 2018-19 season No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and led the team and finished 6th in the Pac-12 in assists (5.0 apg). She started the 2019-20 season in third place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (456). Ryan, who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention recognition from the league's coaches in 2018, started every game in 2018-19 and concluded the season second on the team in 3-pointers (29), third in scoring (7.2 ppg) and assists (1.8 apg) and fifth in rebounds (2.5 rpg).
Sophomore guards Taya Hanson and Iris Mbulito both competed internationally over the summer for the second straight season. Representing Canada at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Thailand, Hanson averaged 10.7 points in the tournament's seven games and led Canada in its final contest with 15 points. Mbulito, who earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention honors last season, helped Spain claim a fifth-place finish at the FIBA U20 European Championship held in the Czech Republic. Mbulito averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists (second among all players) in the seven games. Also returning for ASU in the backcourt are senior Kiara Russell and sophomore Jamie Loera. Russell, who has 95 games of experience under her belt, finished second on the team in assists (2.2 apg) and fifth in FG pct. (45.7) last season. Despite being limited to 11 games last season, Loera still had an impact as ASU's leader in 3-point FG percentage (50.0/9-18).
The frontcourt is where the Sun Devils lost the most from last year's team as the squad is having to replace its top three scorers and rebounders. Returning posts for the Sun Devils include senior Jamie Ruden (averaged 6.1 ppg in 78 career games), junior Bre'yanna Sanders and sophomore Jayde Van Hyfte.
The Sun Devils started the new campaign with four newcomers. Senior post Ja'Tavia Tapley brings her talents to ASU after being a strong contributor for USC where she started 41 games the last three seasons (26 starts in 2018-19). Also debuting for the Sun Devils later this fall will be freshman post Eboni Walker (state of Nevada's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019) and freshman guards Sydnei Caldwell (2019 McDonald's All-American Game nominee from the state of New Jersey) and Sara Bejedi, who represented Finland at the World University Games in July 2019 and finished third among all players in scoring (16.2 ppg), second in steals (3.0 spg) and tied for third in 3-pointers per game (2.7).
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• Last season ASU led the Pac-12 in scoring defense (58.2 ppg). It was the second straight season and the third time in five years that ASU has led the Pac-12 in scoring defense.
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.9 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (a span of 173 games). It has held the opposition to 50 or less points 55 times during that stretch. They are 54-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015. Over that same stretch (173 games), ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 28.9 percent of its attempts from long range.
• Last season ASU held each of its Pac-12 opponents below its scoring average: UA (-25.4), Utah (-16.1), CU (-1.2), Stan (-8.5), Cal (-10.6), UO (-14.1), OSU (-5.7 in 2OTs), UCLA (-9.6), USC (-8.1 ppg), UA (-24.0), WSU (-21.3), CU (-17.9), Utah (-17.6), Cal (-0.9), Stan (-5.0), OSU (-23.4), UO (-22.0).
• Outstanding team defense helped ASU make the greatest comeback in school history last season. Against Utah on Feb. 17, 2019, ASU held the Utes to only 3 points in the 4th quarter allowing the Sun Devils to rally from 18 down with a 20-0 run in the last 7:45 to win 60-58.
BENCH PRODUCTION
Last season the Sun Devil bench more than doubled the production of the opposition's bench (23.2-11.4), an improvement over the prior season when ASU had a 22.5-12.1 edge. Early returns in 2019-20 suggest the Sun Devils may have one of their most complete teams ever in terms the level of efficiency they have shown with different combinations on the floor. In its first three games, ASU has averaged nearly three times the number of points as the opposition's reserves (35.2-12.5). Tapley came off the bench to average 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in ASU's first two games. Also providing the Sun Devils with productive minutes have been freshman post Eboni Walker (5.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and sophomore guard Iris Mbulito (6.0 points, 3.8 rebounds).
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Over the summer three Sun Devils – sophomores Taya Hanson and Iris Mbulito and freshman Sara Bejedi – participated in international competitions.
Taya Hanson was one of 12 athletes representing Canada at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand (July 20-28). Mbulito represented Spain at the FIBA U20 European Championship being held Aug. 3-11 in the Czech Republic. Bejedi just played for Finland at the World University Games in Italy, finishing third among all players in scoring (16.2 ppg), second in steals (3.0 spg) and tied for third in 3-pointers per game (2.7).
During the summer of 2018, Hanson, Mbulito and senior Kiara Russell all played in international competitions and were part of teams that won medals.
Mbulito earned Most Valuable Player honors as she helped Spain claim the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship in Sopron, Hungary. Mbulito posted a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) in the championship game in leading Spain to a convincing 69-50 win over Serbia. Mbulito, who had the game-winning basket with five seconds remaining in Spain's 51-50 quarterfinal win over France, averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds (team high), 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in the tournament (seven games). She also recorded a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) in the win over France.
Russell was a member of the U.S. team that won the gold at the FISU America Games. Russell was part of a squad that defeated its four opponents – Mexico, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil – by an average of 43.8 points. The USA claimed the gold with a 59-42 win in the championship game. The FISU America Games are a multi-sport event sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Hanson averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals in helping lead Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship. Hanson came one rebound short of a double-double (14 points, nine rebounds) in Canada's opening game of the tournament against Colombia. She would surpass that performance with a 16-point, 11-rebound outing in Canada's quarterfinal victory over Chile. Canada won its first five contests by an average of 23.2 points before falling to the USA in the gold medal game.
GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Six Sun Devils were named to the 2019 Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Academic teams. Headlining the list for ASU was Jamie Ruden, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year. Ruden (4.00 GPA in Psychology) was also named to the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Second Team for the second straight year. ASU also had five players named Pac-12 honorable mention recognition: senior F Kianna Ibis, senior C Charnea Johnson-Chapman and guards Reili Richardson, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan.
• A league-high and school-record-tying eight Sun Devil WBB players were named to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Academic teams in 2018. The eight awards tied the school record for most student-athletes on the Pac-12's All-Academic Team. The 2006-07 team also had eight (two on first team, one on second team and five honorable mention).
• In 2017 ASU finished among the nation's best in combined team GPA. With a final team GPA of 3.672 for the 2016-17 academic year the Sun Devils finished fifth in the nation (the highest ranking in program history) among Division I institutions in the WBCA's annual Academic Top 25. The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls. ASU's No. 5 finish represented the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils were among the top 10 programs in the country after placing seventh (3.558) for the 2014-15 academic year. In 2016-17 ASU was one of only eight teams around the country to be included in the WBCA's Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, ASU and DePaul were the only two schools to advance past the first round.
NIKKI BLUE JOINS SUN DEVIL WBB COACHING STAFF
Former UCLA All-American and Washington Mystics guard Nikki Blue was named assistant coach last April.Blue joined Charli Turner Thorne's staff from nearby Grand Canyon University where she was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator the last two seasons. In that position she oversaw the program's domestic and international recruiting, scouting and planning. In her first season on staff, Blue's guidance was instrumental in guard Brie Mobley earning All-WAC first-team recognition.
Blue arrived at GCU after spending three seasons as the top assistant at CSU Bakersfield, where she was part of a staff that helped the Roadrunners to a 2014 postseason appearance with 23 wins. Before Bakersfield, Blue spent six years as an assistant coach at UNLV, where she helped the Rebels land the Nevada Player of the Year out of high school and develop the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2008.
As a player, Blue had a decorated career at UCLA where earned Pac-10 first-team honors four times and was named a WBCA All-American in 2006. During her time at UCLA she played an integral role in leading the Bruins to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament title.
Blue was drafted by the WNBA's Washington Mystics in 2006. She played four seasons with the Mystics and one with the New York Liberty before playing two seasons internationally with FIBA (one in Turkey and one in Greece).