WHEN: Friday at 11:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. MT
WHERE: MGM Grand Garden Arena • Las Vegas
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060/TuneIn
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The No. 20 Arizona State women's basketball team (20-9, 10-7 Pac-12/No. 5 seed) continues play in the Pac-12 Tournament on Friday (11:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. MT) when it faces No. 25 UCLA (19-11, 12-6 Pac-12 - No. 4 seed) in the first of four quarterfinal games at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The winner will advance to the semifinal round where it will face either No. 6 Oregon (27-3, 16-2 Pac-12 - No. 1 seed) or Arizona (18-12, 7-11 Pac-12 - No. 8 seed) on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT.
ASU opened the Pac-12 Tournament with a 66-49 win over No. 12 seed Colorado on Thursday. Courtney Ekmark tied a season high with six 3-pointers while Robbi Ryan added 13 points for the Sun Devils, who set a new school record for consecutive 20-win seasons with six. ASU outscored the Buffaloes 23-9 over the final 10 minutes to overcome the challenge of a resilient Colorado squad. After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Buffaloes rallied in the 2nd half, getting as close as one point late in the third quarter.
UCLA was victorious in the only meeting of the season between the two teams, 61-59 in on Jan. 25 in Tempe. A 3-pointer by UCLA's Japreece Dean with nine seconds left proved to be the game-winning points as the Sun Devils were not able to come up with a score on the opposite end that would have either produced a win or sent the game into OT. Ekmark led ASU in both points (14) and rebounds (6). Also scoring in double figures for the Sun Devils, who shot 40 pct and were outrebounded 40-37 (one of only 5x ASU has been outrebounded this season, were Reili Richardson (12 points) and Kianna Ibis (10 points).
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 (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 season finale.
COVERAGE
Friday's game vs. UCLA can be seen on Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles (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 13-21 in the NCAA RPI since defeating then-unbeaten Utah on Jan. 4. They were listed at No. 21 on Mar. 7.
• 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
• With its win over Colorado on Thursday, the Sun Devils have now won 20 or more games a school record six straight seasons: 2014 - 23, 2015 - 29, 2016 - 26, 2017 - 20, 2018 - 22, 2019 - 20.
• A win over UCLA would propel the Sun Devils into the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals for the ninth time since 2002.
• Senior post Kianna Ibis, now a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, has scored in double figures in all but 5 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 10x this season. She's currently tied for 7th on ASU's career 3-pointers list with 117.
• Junior G Reili Richardson is No. 2 in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio. Currently with 429 career assists, Richardson is in 4th place on ASU's all-time list for career assists. She needs 13 more for 3rd place (441/Jodi Rathbun – 1983-86), 54 more for 2nd place (483/Elisha Davis – 2013-16) and 106 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 (14x), 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 season best with 11 in Pac-12 Tournament win over Colorado (Mar. 7).
• 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 58 games (going back to Nov. 25, 2017).
• ASU's bench has nearly doubled opponents in points per game, 23.1-11.9.
• 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 UCLA
UCLA has won the last five meetings. The Bruins claimed the only meeting between the two teams last season 71-63 win last season in Los Angeles. Robbi Ryan (14 pts), Kianna Ibis (first career double-double 13 pts, 11 rebs) and Courtney Ekmark (13 pts) combined to score 40 points for the Sun Devils, who got as close as two points in the final quarter after trailing by as many as 12 in the second half. ASU's 59-57 win in 2014 in Tempe snapped UCLA's eight-game winning streak in the series. The Sun Devils captured their second consecutive win over the Bruins in 2015 with a 68-56 win in Los Angeles. The two teams split their contests in 2016 with the home team holding serve on its home court: ASU 65-61 in Tempe and UCLA 74-61 in Los Angeles. UCLA swept the season series in 2017 – 69-60 in Los Angeles and 55-52 in Tempe – and captured a third win against ASU in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament (77-68).
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.
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-conf 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.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• ASU concluded the regular season as the Pac-12 leader in scoring defense (58.0 ppg).
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.8 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (165 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 (165 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), CU (-16.0).
• 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.