WHEN: Friday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
WHERE: Watsco Center • Coral Gables, Fla.
TELEVISION: ESPN2. Note: In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN2 will televise the game of local interest. While constant updates from the other games will be provided in the home market, the networks will not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection.
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060/TuneIn
UP NEXT
The No. 20 Arizona State women's basketball team (20-10, 10-7 Pac-12/No. 5 seed in Portland Region) commences play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. MT) when it faces UCF (26-6, 13-3 AAC/No. 12 seed) in the first of two first round games at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
The second game will feature the host school, Miami (24-8, 12-4 ACC/No. 4 seed) taking on FGCU (28-4, 16-0 ASUN - No. 13 seed). The winners of Friday's games will reconvene at the Watsco Center on Sunday (time TBD) for a second round game that will determine who advances to next week's regional round (March 29 & 31) that will be played at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.
ASU will be making its third trip to the state of Florida since the 2014-15 season. In November 2014, the Sun Devils played four games in six days in 'The Sunshine State.' It started the trip with a win at Miami before making its way to Estero, Fla., where it played Villanova (W), Green Bay (L) and Vanderbilt (W) in the annual Gulf Coast Showcase tournament. Most recently ASU played at Florida State (L) on Dec. 10, 2017.
ASU concluded non-conference play 9-2 – two losses were to Baylor and Louisville by a combined eight points – the sixth straight season it has won nine or more games before the start of Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils' journey through the Pac-12 portion of their schedule 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 Oregon and Bay Area schools in consecutive weeks). The Sun Devils finished in fifth place in the Pac-12 after producing a 10-7 record in league play. Along the way ASU became the first Pac-12 team to sweep Oregon State since 2012-13, defeating the Beavers 79-76 (2OT) in Corvallis and 66-54 in Tempe.
COVERAGE
Friday's game vs. UCF can be seen on ESPN2 (Clay Matvick/Julianne Viani). Note: In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN2 will televise the game of local interest. While constant updates from the other games will be provided in the home market, the networks will not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection. 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 3:30 p.m. 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.
NCAA NOTES
• The Arizona State women's basketball program will be making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (14th under the direction of head coach Charli Turner Thorne). ASU's overall NCAA record is 19-16 (17-13 record under Turner Thorne). ASU has advanced past the first two rounds four times during Turner Thorne's tenure ('05, '07, '09, '15). The Sun Devils have advanced as far as the Elite Eight on two occasions (2007 and 2009). ASU has won at least one game in 11 of its last 12 NCAA appearances (2002, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '14, '15, '16, '17, 18).
• ASU's current run of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2014-19) eclipses the school record of five (2005-09).
• In 2017, ASU traveled to Columbia, S.C., as the No. 8 seed and defeated Michigan State in the first round before handing eventual national champion South Carolina its biggest scare of the tournament in the second round. The Sun Devils led by as many as 11 in the third quarter and by one in the final minute before falling 71-68.
• ASU's No. 2 seed in 2016 represented its highest in program history. Prior to 2016 the highest seed it ever received was No. 3 (2007, 2015). The Sun Devils defeated No. 15 New Mexico State at home before being upset by No. 7 Tennessee in the second round.
• Prior to its first Elite Eight berth in 2007, the furthest ASU had reached was the round of 16 (1982, 1983 and 2005). In both 1982 and `83, ASU lost to the eventual national champion in the round of 16 (Louisiana Tech in 1982 and USC in 1983). As the No. 5 seed in the Tempe Region in 2005 ASU advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 22 years after defeating No. 4 seed Notre Dame, 70-61. In that game ASU overcame a 13-point, first-half deficit. In the Sweet 16 against North Carolina, ASU led by as many as 10 points and was within two points, 62-60, with 9:29 remaining before the Tar Heels closed out the game with a 17-12 run.
• In 2009, ASU (a No. 6 seed in the Trenton Regional) earned its second Elite Eight berth in three years. ASU defeated No. 11 Georgia and No. 3 Florida State in Duluth, Ga., before knocking off the No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the regional semifinal in Trenton, N.J. ASU was defeated by eventual national champion UConn in the Trenton Regional final.
• ASU earned a No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Region in 2007 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history on its way to posting a school record 31 wins. ASU denied the upset bids of No. 14 Riverside (first round) and No. 6 Louisville (second round), overcoming double-digit deficits in the final 10 minutes of both games before defeating Bowling Green (67-49) in the Sweet 16. ASU's season ended with a 64-45 loss to Rutgers in the regional final.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• The Sun Devils set school records this season for consecutive NCAA appearances (six) and consecutive 20-win seasons (6).
• ASU was 2-6 against the NCAA's top 16 seeds (two wins were vs. Oregon State). Five of the six losses were by seven or fewer points: vs. Baylor (L, 65-59/ASU led by as many as 14 in the 1st half and led going into the fourth quarter), vs. Louisville (L, 58-56/ASU led by six in the fourth quarter; Louisville scored winning basket with less than two seconds left), vs. Stanford (L, 65-72), at Oregon (71-77/ASU was within two points in the final minute), vs. Oregon (L, 59-66/ASU was within three with 1:20 left). Three of the four teams that finished ahead of ASU in the Pac-12 are top four seeds: Stanford (No. 2 - Chicago Region), Oregon (No. 2 - Portland Region), Oregon State (No. 4 - Albany Region).
• ASU comes into the NCAA Tournament ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (14th/12.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (19th/1.29) and rebounding margin (29th/+6.7).
• ASU finished first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense. ASU played 12 games (40 percent of its 30 games) against teams that finished among the top 50 in scoring offense.
• Senior post and two-time All-Pac-12 selection Kianna Ibis has scored in double figures in all but five games this season. In league play she finished among the top 15 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 16.7 ppg and 7.1 rpg and has shot 50 percent from the floor in ASU's 10 games vs. ranked teams.
• Currently No. 2 on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), redshirt senior G and 2019 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree Courtney Ekmark has knocked down 3 or more 3-pointers 10x this season. She's 7th on ASU's career 3-pointers list with 118 and is tied for fourth for most 3-pointers in a season (60).
• Junior G Reili Richardson is No. 5 in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio. Currently with 436 career assists, Richardson is in 4th place on ASU's all-time list for career assists. She needs six more for 3rd place (441/Jodi Rathbun – 1983-86), 48 more for 2nd place (483/Elisha Davis – 2013-16) and 99 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 38x this season (single digits 22x) and outrebounded the opposition all but 5x (vs. Baylor/vs. Cal/vs. UCLA/at Stanford/vs. Oregon).
• ASU has had 6 different players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Ibis (15x), Ekmark (11x), Elenga (2x), Richardson (2x), Ruden (1x), and Johnson-Chapman (1x).
• ASU has knocked down 8 or more 3-pointers 8x, something it did 4x last season. It tied a season best with 11 triples in its Pac-12 Tournament win over Colorado (Mar. 7).
• ASU has had 10 or fewer turnovers 9x this season. Last season ASU set the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.7).
• ASU has had the same starting lineup – Richardson/Ryan/Ekmark/Ibis/Johnson-Chapman – in its last 59 games (going back to Nov. 25, 2017).
• ASU's bench has doubled its opponents in points per game, 23.2-11.6.
• ASU is 5-3 this season in games decided by 5 points or less. It prevailed 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, ASU 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. Most recently, ASU fell to UCLA 73-69 in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals (Mar. 8).
SERIES NOTES
Friday's contest will be the first meeting between the Sun Devils and the Knights. Looking ahead to potential second round opponents if ASU advances, the Sun Devils have won all three of their prior meetings against the Hurricanes: 78-74 in 1988 in Tempe, 75-73 in 2013 in Tempe and 65-61 in 2014 in Coral Gables. An ASU-FGCU matchup would be the first meeting between the two programs.
NON-CONFERENCE SUMMARY
• ASU concluded non-conference play 9-2, the sixth straight season it has won 9 or more games before the start of Pac-12 play. During that stretch ASU has won 84 pct of its regular-season, non-conference contests (58-11).
• ASU nearly upset top 5 teams on two different occasions in November. ASU led then-fourth-ranked Baylor (Nov. 11) by as many as 14 points in the 2nd quarter, by 11 at the half and entered the final period with a four-point lead , but in the end the Bears were able to outlast the Sun Devils, 65-59.
• On Nov. 23 ASU led then-No. 5 Louisville by as many as six in the fourth quarter. After shooting 45 pct (13-29) in the 2nd/3rd quarters, ASU shot only 14 percent over the final 10 minutes. Louisville scored the winning basket with less than two seconds left to escape with the win.
• ASU's seven-game winning streak to conclude non-conference play represented the 24th time since 2004 that it has had a winning streak of five or more games. The string of wins was the program's longest since it tied the school record with 15 straight in 2015-16.
PAC-12 SUMMARY
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 (60-58) included another comeback, this one was an improbable 20-0 run in the last 7:45 of regulation 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 regular season finale.
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.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• ASU enters the NCAA Tournament as the Pac-12 leader in scoring defense (58.2 ppg).
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.9 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (166 games). It has held the opposition to 50 or less points 53 times during that stretch. They are 52-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015. Over that same stretch (166 games), ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 29.0 percent of its attempts from long range.
• 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).
• Against Utah on Feb. 17, 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.
• Against then-No. 5 Louisville on Nov. 23, ASU held the Cardinals 25 points below their average and put the clamps on Louisville's leading scorer Asia Durr, who had 14 points on 5-18 shooting (27.7 percent). Durr came into the contest averaging 25.7 points and had made half of her shots (26-52).
• ASU concluded the 2017-18 regular season first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense. It limited the opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 51x last season, including a season low of two points scored by Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals (Mar. 1). On Feb. 23, 2018, ASU held eventual Elite 8 participant Oregon to 57 points – nearly 27 points below its scoring average at the time and its lowest point total of the season. In its 57-51 win over Oregon State (Mar. 2) in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament the Sun Devils limited the Beavers to seven points in the first quarter and five in the final quarter, including a single point in the last 5 minutes. During that stretch ASU outscored OSU 13-1 to overcome a six-point deficit.
BENCH PRODUCTION
• In 2017-18 ASU's reserves outscored the opposition's bench 22.5-12.1. The overwhelming advantage in the category has continued this season as ASU's reserves have outscored the opposition's by an average of 23.2-11.6. Sophia Elenga (5.7 ppg), Jamie Ruden (4.5 ppg), Iris Mbulito (4.0 ppg) and Kiara Russell (3.7 ppg) have combined to average 17.9 ppg. Mbulito earned 2019 Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention recognition.
• Freshman Jamie Loera leads the team in 3-point FG pct. (9-18).
• In ASU's contest at Arkansas, Mbulito (13 points) and senior post Sophia Elenga (11 points) combined for 24 points. Elenga also added a career-high 12 rebounds in accounting for her first career double-double. Elenga was named to the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.
• Ruden (7), Jayde Van Hyfte (7), Russell (6), Elenga (6) and Mbulito (5) combined for 31 points in 68-59 win vs. USC (Jan. 27), the most points ASU's bench has scored in Pac-12 game this season.
• Sun Devil reserves who have scored in double figures this season include Hanson (11), Elenga (11, 13, 12, 11), Mbulito (13, 10, 10) Jamie Ruden (15, 14, 12).
IBIS LEADS THE WAY
• ASU's active career leader in points (1,141), rebs (549), steals (99) and blocks (54), two-time All-Pac-12 honoree Kianna Ibis has scored 20 or more points 8x this season and 14x in her career (all in last two seasons).
• Has scored in double figures in all but five games this season and has grabbed 7 or more rebounds 15x, including season-highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds in upset of No. 10 Oregon State (Jan. 20).
• In earlier five-game stretch (at CU, vs. STAN, vs. CAL, at UO, at OSU), Ibis averaged 21.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg and connected on 61 pct. of her FGs (43-71), 53 pct. of her 3FGs (9-17) and 100.0 pct of her FTs (14-14). In the 2nd half of those games (and OT vs. OSU) she hit 82 pct of her FGs (21-26).
• Ibis, who also earned Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention notice this season, is averaging 16.7 ppg/7.1 rpg and is shooting 50.4 percent in ASU's 10 games vs. ranked teams: vs. No. 4 Baylor (13 pts/5 rebs), vs. No. 5 Louisville (8/7), vs. No. 6 Stanford (6/7), vs. No. 21 Cal (26/6), at No. 5 Oregon (22/8), at No. 10 Oregon State (28/13), at No. 7 Stanford (7/3), vs. No. 9 Oregon State (20/8), No. 6 vs. Oregon (23/8), vs. No. 25 UCLA (14/6).
• At Oregon State, Ibis scored 21 of her 28 points in the 2nd half. She was perfect in the last 30 minutes (second half and OT) going 9-9 from the floor and 3-3 from the line to account for 21 points. In the rematch on Mar. 1, Ibis scored 16 of her game-high 20 points in the second half (6-7 FGs).
• In addition to her offensive contributions, Ibis had been every bit as stellar on the defensive end as she leads the team in steals per game (1.1) and is tied for the team lead with Charnea Johnson-Chapman in blocks per game (0.7).
• In last season's win at Utah (12/31/17), Ibis had one of the best offensive days turned in by a Sun Devil in recent memory as she scored a career-high 30 points, becoming the first Sun Devil to score 30 or more points since Kylan Loney accomplished the feat vs. Arizona on January 31, 2004.
• Scored 27 points in ASU's NCAA second round game vs. Texas last March, the third-highest single-game point total by a Sun Devil in an NCAA Tournament game.
REILI RICHARDSON GUIDES NEAR FLAWLESS ATTACK
• One of the biggest reasons ASU was able to shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.3) in a season in 2017-18 was the play of point guard Reili Richardson, who concluded the season ranked No. 4 in the nation and 1st in the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio (3.46).
• Coming into the NCAA Tournament, Richardson is No. 5 in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and is 8th in the league in assists (4.8 apg).
• Has had 0 (8x) or 1 (11x) turnover in more than half (19) of ASU's games.
• Scored GW on a buzzer-beater at then-unbeaten (12-0) Utah (Jan. 4).
• Currently with 436 career assists, Richardson is in 4th place on ASU's all-time list for assists. She needs six more for 3rd place (441/Jodi Rathbun – 1983-86), 47 for 2nd place (483/Elisha Davis – 2013-16) and 99 to surpass current assistant coach Briann January (534/2006-09) for the top spot.
• Had season-high 16 points to go with 6 assists in 2OT win at No. 10 Oregon State (Jan. 20), accounting for 10 of the points in the two OT periods.
EK-MARKS THE SPOT
• Courtney Ekmark's excellent marksmanship from long range provided ASU with a dangerous weapon on the offensive end last season. Ekmark, who scored a season-high 21 points at Colorado State (Dec. 9), currently leads ASU in 3-pointers (60/12th in the Pac-12/tied for 4th for most by ASU player in a season) and is 2nd in scoring (10.2 ppg). She has knocked down 3 or more triples 10x this season and was ASU's leading scorer during its seven-game winning streak to end non-conference play (13.0 ppg).
• A second-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, in December 2017, Ekmark connected on seven 3-pointers to tie ASU's single-game school record for 3-pointers in 80-43 win over Arkansas (Dec. 21). Ekmark, who scored a career-high 23 points against the Razorbacks, tied the mark previously accomplished by current ASU assistant coach Briann January (at UC Davis, Dec. 3, 2008), Crystal Cobb (vs. Oregon, Feb. 2, 1991) and Ryneldi Becenti (vs. Washington State, Feb. 13, 1993).
• Ekmark's 58 3-pointers last season tied for fifth on ASU's all-time single-season list with Kylan Loney (58 in 2005). She is currently 7th on ASU's career list for 3-pointers with 118.
RYAN'S STEADY PLAY IMPORTANT PART OF ASU'S SUCCESS
• One of three Sun Devils who averaged double figures in scoring in Pac-12 play (10.9) last season, Robbi Ryan (2018 All Pac-12 honorable mention and All-Defensive honorable mention) was a key contributor to ASU's success on both ends of the floor in 2017-18.
• Ryan, who had 10 double-digit scoring efforts in conference games last season, was the only Sun Devil to average double figures in scoring in ASU's three contests vs. Oregon State last season (14.7 ppg).
• Is currently 2nd on the team in 3-pointers (28), 3rd in scoring (7.4 ppg) and assists (1.9 apg) and 5th in rebounds (2.6 rpg).
• Ryan, who has hit 45 percent (14-31) of her 3-pointers in the last 9 games, scored 10 of her 11 points in the 4th quarter of ASU's 18-point comeback over Utah (Feb. 17), including game-tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining.
JOHNSON-CHAPMAN STEPS UP IN THE POST
• One of the biggest factors in ASU's success throughout the 2017-18 season was the play of center Charnea Johnson-Chapman, who started every game last season and led the team in FG pct. (54.9), rebounds (6.5 rpg/16th in Pac-12), O-Rebs (2.2 rpg/t-13th in Pac-12) and blocks (20).
• Johnson-Chapman has started every game this season and currently leads the team in rebounds (7.0 rpg/12th in the Pac-12), Off-rebounds (3.0 rpg/4th in the Pac-12), is tied the team lead in shot blocks (0.7 bpg) and 3rd in FG pct (51.6).
• Matched career highs in points (16)/steals (3) vs. No. 6 Stanford (Jan. 11).
• Scored all 10 of her points in the 2nd half and came one rebound short of a double-double at Oregon (Jan. 18).
RUDEN PROVIDES SUN DEVILS WITH INSTANT OFFENSE
• Has played in all but 2 games and is tied for 5th on the team in 3-pointers (15).
• Led ASU with 15 points (6-7 FGs, 3-3 3FGs) to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in ASU's season opening win over Incarnate Word (Nov. 6).
• Scored 12 points in ASU's near upset of No. 5 Oregon (Jan. 18).
• After missing all 18 Pac-12 games as a freshman in 2017, Ruden came back to score double figures 14 times and finished second on the team in 3-point FGs (27) last season. She scored a career-high 19 points in ASU's win vs. Idaho (Dec. 18, 2017) and was responsible for the game-winning basket in ASU's 83-81 win at Utah on Dec. 31, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
• Over the summer junior Kiara Russell and freshmen Taya Hanson & Iris Mbulito were part of teams that won a medal in international competition.
• Mbulito earned MVP honors at the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship in Sopron, Hungary, as she helped Spain claim the gold medal. 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).
• 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 surpassed 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.
2017-18 REVIEW
• Last season the Sun Devils finished 22-13 and 10-8 in the Pac-12 (6th place), made their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (13th under the direction of head coach Charli Turner Thorne) and tied the school record for consecutive NCAA appearances (5) and 20-win seasons (5).
• A win over No. 10 Oregon State enabled ASU to make its eighth appearance in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
• ASU finished among the Top 30 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (12th/11.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (16th/1.35), fewest fouls per game (22nd/14.1) and assists (29th/552). For the second time in four years, ASU led the league in scoring defense (also in 2014-15).
• Kianna Ibis (All-Pac-12) and Robbi Ryan (All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention) both earned Pac-12 honors. ASU's leading scorer last season, Ibis scored in double figures 23x, including a career-high 30 points in ASU's win at Utah (Dec. 31), the most points by a Sun Devil since 2004. Guards Reili Richardson (fourth) and Kiara Russell (16th) both finished among the top 20 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, helping ASU shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.7/previous record was 14.3 set by the 2014-15 team). Courtney Ekmark led ASU with 57 triples and tied single-game school record with seven 3-pointers vs. Arkansas.
CHARLI TURNER THORNE HAS SUN DEVIL WBB AMONG NATION'S ELITE
• The all-time winningest coach in program history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in career wins (442) Charli Turner Thorne has turned Sun Devil WBB into one of the nation's premiere programs since taking over in 1996-97. This season ASU set a new program record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (six) and consecutive 20-win season (six).
• Included in ASU's earlier run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances (2000-12) were five-consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 2005-09. During that time ASU qualified for the Elite Eight on a pair of occasions (2007, 2009) making it one of only 15 programs in the country to have qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times between 2007-12. Last season ASU matched previous school record for consecutive years making the NCAA Tournament (five) and consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins (five).
• In 2016 Turner Thorne was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year (coaches and media), the second time she has been recognized with the honor (2001), after leading the Sun Devils to their second regular season Pac-12 championship. ASU would go on to earn its highest NCAA Tournament seed (No. 2) in program history. In 2016 ASU has also tied the program records for most conference wins (16) and consecutive wins (15) and set the program record for most road wins (11). Turner Thorne would go on to also be named the WBCA Region 5 Co-Coach of the Year.
• In 2014-15 Turner Thorne was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year for a season in which she led ASU to its best start in school history (18-1), its best conference start in school history (7-0), a second-place finish in the Pac-12 and 29 wins, the second-highest number in school history.
• In 2013-14 Turner Thorne raised the curtain on the team's current era of success as she helped the Sun Devils post one of the best turnarounds in the country as they went from a 13-18 record and a ninth-place Pac-12 finish (5-13) in 2012-13 to a 23-10 record and fourth-place Pac-12 finish (11-7). Included among ASU's 23 wins in 2013-14 were three triumphs over Top 25 teams.
• The outstanding success Sun Devil women's basketball has enjoyed under Turner Thorne is a 180-degree difference from the 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.
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 junior forward Jamie Ruden, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year. Last month 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. The Sun Devils also had five players named Pac-12 honorable mention recognition: senior forward Kianna Ibis, senior center Charnea Johnson-Chapman and junior guards Reili Richardson, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan.
• A league-high and school-record-tying eight Arizona State University women's basketball 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.
FUTURE SUN DEVILS
• Last November, Charli Turner Thorne announced Sydnei Caldwell and Eboni Walker signed national letters of intent with the Sun Devil women's basketball program.
• A 5-9 guard, Caldwell will be coming to ASU from the state of New Jersey. Ranked No. 27 at her position by ESPN.com, Caldwell averaged 15.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds last season at Gill St. Bernard's High School where she led her squad to the South Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals. For her outstanding play in 2018, Caldwell earned First-Team All-Conference, Third-Team All-State (non-public), Honorable Mention All-Area (Courier News) and Honorable Mention All-NJ recognition. Caldwell, who plays AAU basketball for the New Jersey Sparks, averaged 19.6 points per game as a sophomore. As a sophomore in 2016, Caldwell scored a career-high 36 points in a win over No. 8 Franklin in the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament. As a freshman in 2016, Caldwell was named First-Team All-Conference, Second-Team All-Area (Courier News) and Honorable Mention All-NJ honors.
• A 5-11 forward from Las Vegas, Nev., Walker averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds last year in helping lead her Centennial High School team to a 29-3 record and a fourth consecutive Class 4A state championship (Walker scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Centennial's overtime victory in the state title game). Ranked No. 9 at her position by ESPN.com, Walker earned First-Team All-State honors in 2018. A member of three state championship teams, Walker, whose club team won the 17-under championship at the ASGR summer basketball playoff earlier this year, has been named to the Las Vegas Sun's Super 7 each of the last two years. As a sophomore in 2017, Walker averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on her way to earning Second-Team All-State and First-Team All-Northwest League honors. She also earned All-State Honorable Mention recognition as a freshman in 2016.
SHOWDOWN ON THE REZ
• The Arizona State University women's basketball program brought big-time NCAA women's college basketball to the Native American community last November when it hosted perennial national powerhouse and fourth-ranked Baylor at the Bee Holdzil Fighting Scouts Event Center on the Navajo Reservation in Fort Defiance, Arizona.
• Working in conjunction with ASU's Office of American Indian Initiatives, 'Showdown on the Rez' will served as a celebration of Native American Heritage Month and also provided a platform to recognize and honor Native Americans who served in the armed forces.
• Sun Devil WBB honored former ASU players and Native Americans Ryneldi Becenti (1992-93), Kalene Carl (1997), Michelle Tom (1998-99) and Rainy Crisp (2000-03).