WHEN: Friday at 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
WHERE: Alaska Airlines Arena • Seattle, Wash.
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Arizona/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
Coming off a historic weekend, the No. 18/19 Arizona State women's basketball team travels to the Pacific Northwest for a pair of tough assignments against Washington (Friday at 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT) and Washington State (Sunday at noon PT/1 p.m. MT).
It's been an interesting few weeks for the Sun Devils (13-4, 3-2 Pac-12), who are currently in fifth place in the Pac-12 standings. ASU came into last week's action having dropped two of its first three Pac-12 games. Both setbacks were against ranked opponents – No. 18 Arizona and No. 10 UCLA – and were also contests that were up for grabs in the final minute. Enter what most deem to be the conference's most devastating one-two punch among the league's six sets of travel partners: No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State. History suggested the best outcome ASU could hope for was a split since no unranked team had ever beaten consecutive AP Top 5 opponents. Charli Turner Thorne's Sun Devils begged to differ. By the end of the weekend it was the Sun Devils who made history of their own. On Friday, ASU outscored Oregon 30-14 in the fourth quarter – which included a game-changing 14-0 run – to beat the No. 2 Ducks 72-66. Two days later, tied at 45-45 with No. 3 Oregon State late in the game, ASU ended with a 10-2 run to defeat OSU 55-47 and become the first unranked team to defeat back-to-back AP Top 5 opponents. Ja'Tavia Tapley (15.0 ppg), Robbi Ryan (13.5 ppg), Reili Richardson (11.0 ppg) and Jamie Ruden (10.5 ppg) all averaged double figures in scoring for the Sun Devils, who have now won three in a row.
ASU's success this season has been the product of a team effort as the Sun Devils have had eight different players who have led/tied for the team lead in scoring. As has been the case in years past, the Sun Devils have been especially effective both on the defensive end (23rd in the nation in scoring defense) and at controlling the boards (4th in the nation in offensive rebounds and 18th in rebounding margin).
After having their only scheduled meeting of the 2018-19 season canceled by a Seattle snowstorm, the Sun Devils and Huskies will face one another for the first time since February 2, 2018. The Huskies (10-5, 2-2 Pac-12) have split their first four Pac-12 games. Prior to their loss to Washington State last week, the Huskies came through with an impressive road trip to the Bay Area, defeating Cal and keeping pace with current No. 3 Stanford for most of the first three quarters before the Cardinal pulled away.
After this weekend's contests, ASU will begin a second go-round with the same five-team gauntlet it just came through: at No. 21 Arizona (Jan. 24), vs. USC (Jan. 31), vs. No. 7 UCLA (Feb. 2), at No. 8 Oregon State (Feb. 7), at No. 6 Oregon (Feb. 9).
TV/RADIO
Friday's game at Washington will be televised by Pac-12 Arizona (Guy Haberman, Kelsey Plum). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Coverage will start at 7:30 p.m. MT. 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.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS WASHINGTON – ASU LEADS 33-31 SINCE 1979-80
The Sun Devils have dominated of late having won 22 of the last 29 meetings, including 20 of the last 25. The two teams played only once in 2014 (ASU W 78-60 in Seattle) and 2015 (ASU W 62-48 in Tempe). ASU swept the season series in 2015-16, winning 68-61 in Seattle and 77-57 in Tempe. The Huskies were victorious in both contests in 2016-17: 65-54 in Tempe and 70-57 in Seattle. The Sun Devils claimed the only meeting in 2018, 61-41 in Tempe.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• The Sun Devils come into Friday's game ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebounds per game (4th/17.1 rpg), rebound margin (18th/+9.6), scoring defense (23rd/55.4 ppg) and 3-point FG pct. defense (23rd/25.9). Individually, senior G Reili Richardson is 13th in the nation in assist-to-TO ratio (2.7).
• ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in O-rebounds per game (1st/17.18 rpg), 3-point FG pct. defense (2nd/25.9), rebounding defense (3rd/32.7 rpg), scoring defense (3rd/55.4 ppg), rebounding margin (4th/+9.6), steals (4th/9.9 spg) and turnover margin (4th/+3.9).
• ASU individual leaders in the Pac-12: F Ja'Tavia Tapley: 9th in rebs/7.1 rpg, 19th in scoring/11.9 ppg; G Reili Richardson: 4th in the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio (2.7) F Jayde Van Hyfte: 2nd in O-rebs/3.5 rpg, 19th in rebs/6.0 rpg; F Eboni Walker: 7th in O-rebs/2.7 rpg; G Kiara Russell: t12th in steals (1.5 spg).
• Graduate transfer Tapley has proven to be difference maker for the Sun Devils. This week's Ann Meyers Drysdale/espnW/Pac-12 Player of the Week, Tapley has played in every game (15 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounds (7.1) and free throws made (41) and attempted (63), is 2nd in steals (1.3 spg), 3rd in FG pct. (49.1) and 4th in assists (1.6 apg).
• Head coach Charli Turner Thorne needs three more wins for 500 in her career (457 with ASU and 40 with Northern Arizona).
• Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (508). She needs 27 assists to pass Briann January and become ASU's all-time assists leader (534/2006-09).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 27.6-8.8. Top contributors include: F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 7.7 ppg since returning from injury, Walker (6.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg), sophomore G Taya Hanson (5.5 ppg), freshman G Sara Bejedi (5.1 ppg) and sophomore G Iris Mbulito (4.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg).
• ASU has outrebounded all but three of its opponents (USC, Oregon, Oregon St.). It has scored 15 or more second chance points six times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Van Hyfte (59 of 102) and Walker (46 of 73) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 32x (14x in single-digits).
• ASU has scored 20 or more points off turnovers eight times (8-0 in those games), including a season-high 36 vs. Army (Nov. 10).
• In its last seven games, ASU has averaged 10.4 turnovers per game, 5.5 fewer turnovers than it averaged in its first 10 games (15.9). Richardson (23 A, 7 TO), and fellow guards Mbulito (21 A, 9 TO) and Russell (17 A, 8 TO) have combined for 61 assists and only 24 turnovers in the last seven games.
• Through five games of Pac-12 play ASU is shooting more than 10 percentage points higher from the FT line (75.8) than it did in the first 12 games (65.3). Richardson made all 10 of her FTs in the final minute to seal ASU's wins over Oregon (4-4) and Oregon State (6-6).
• Senior G Robbi Ryan has scored a season-high 17 points twice in ASU's last four games.
• With Ruden's return from injury in ASU's contest vs. Creighton (Dec. 20), Charli Turner Thorne had every player on ASU's roster available to play for the first time this season. After starting the first two games, Ruden missed ASU's next nine games, including its losses at Minnesota and vs. Purdue. Senior guards Russell (three games) and Ryan (1.5 games) and sophomore guard Jamie Loera (14 games) have also missed time due to either injury or illness.
POLLS
Both the coaches and media picked ASU 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. ASU moved up one spot to 19th in the AP poll after opening with a pair of double-digit wins over Air Force and Army. It fell out of both polls after its 80-66 setback at Minnesota on Nov. 17. It returned to the polls (18th in AP/19th in coaches) following its upsets over No. 2 Oregon (Jan. 10) and No. 3 Oregon State (Jan. 12).
TAPLEY EARNS NUMEROUS HONORS AFTER ASU'S HISTORICAL WEEKEND
Arizona State women's basketball senior forward Ja'Tavia Tapley was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's Player of the Week after her performances in ASU's upset wins over No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State this past weekend. Tapley, who was also named the espnW National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week, led ASU in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounds (6.0 rpg) and field goal percentage (48.0) in the two wins. She scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in Friday's win over Oregon. Two days later, Tapley led all players with 14 points and six more rebounds in ASU's win over No. 3 Oregon State. In addition to her accomplishments on the offensive end, Tapley was part of an ASU defensive effort that held the Ducks and their top-ranked offense 23.5 points below their scoring average in Friday's win. On Sunday, ASU kept the Beavers nearly 30 points below their scoring average of 76.5 points coming into the game.
SENIORS STEPPING UP
ASU seniors Reili Richardson (16 points), Robbi Ryan (15 points), Ja'Tavia Tapley (eight points) and Jamie Ruden (seven points) were responsible for scoring all 46 of ASU's fourth-quarter points in last week's upsets over No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State. Ryan scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the final period of Friday's win over UO. Ruden added seven straight points late in the same quarter. Ruden also set the tone in the first quarter of Sunday's upset of OSU with seven straight to help ASU to a 13-4 lead. Tapley had six points in the final frame vs. OSU
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 second place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (508). She needs 27 assists to pass Briann January (534/2006-09) and become ASU's all-time assists leader. As effective as she has been as a distributor, Richardson has been just as effective scoring the basketball. She ignited ASU's comeback in its win over BYU (Dec. 6), scoring 12 of her (then) season-high 15 points in the 3rd quarter after ASU fell behind by 12 points. Against New Mexico (Dec. 14), Richardson established new career highs for scoring (21 points) and 3-pointers (5). During ASU's recent six-game winning streak, Richardson averaged 10.3 ppg & connected on 42 percent (14-33) of her 3-ptrs. In ASU's 72-66 of No. 2 Oregon, Richardson scored 10 of her 12 points in the final quarter.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• Last season ASU led the Pac-12 in scoring defense (58.2 ppg) for the second straight season and the third time in five years.
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.8 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (a span of 186 games). It has held the opposition to 50 or less points 59 times during that stretch (including five times this season). They are 58-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015. Over that same stretch (186 games), ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 28.6 percent of its attempts from long range.
• As of Jan. 15, ASU is 23rd in the nation in scoring defense (55.4 ppg).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 32 times this season (14x in single-digits).
• The 31 points scored by Maine on Nov. 29, 2019 represented the fewest given up by ASU since Harvard scored 29 on December 14, 2015.
• In historical back-to-back wins vs. No. 2 Oregon (Jan. 10) and No. 3 Oregon State (Jan. 12), ASU held the Ducks and their top-ranked offense 23.5 points below their scoring average and kept the Beavers nearly 30 points below their scoring average of 76.5 points coming into the game. The two teams combined to shoot 18 percent (7-38) from the beyond the arc.
• 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.