WHEN: Sunday at 12 p.m. PT/1 p.m. MT
WHERE: Beasley Coliseum • Pullman, 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
The No. 18/19 Arizona State women's basketball team closes out its road trip to the state of Washington on Sunday (noon PT/1 p.m. MT) when it plays at Washington State.
Winners of their last four games, the Sun Devils (14-4, 4-2 Pac-12) come into Sunday's game in fifth place in the Pac-12, one game behind No. 7 UCLA (16-1, 5-1) and one-half game behind No. 3 Stanford (15-2, 4-1), No. 6 Oregon (14-2, 4-1) and No. 8 Oregon State (16-1, 4-1). The Sun Devils extended their winning streak to four games with a 67-50 win at Washington on Friday. Ja'Tavia scored a game-high 15 points, Jamie Ruden added 10 points and fellow seniors Reili Richardson (nine points) and Robbi Ryan (eight points) combined for 17 points.
It's been an interesting few weeks for the Sun Devils, who 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 Pac-12'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.
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 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
Sunday's game at Washington State will be televised by Pac-12 Arizona (Greg Heister, Elise Woodward). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Coverage will start at 12:30 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 STATE – ASU LEADS 46-18 SINCE 1986-87
The Sun Devils have been victorious in 35 of their last 42 meetings, including the last eight in a row. The Sun Devils were led by Kianna Ibis (22 points) and Robbi Ryan (13 points) in last year's win in Pullman. The Sun Devils overcame a slow start in the first half, outscoring the Cougars 34-18 over the final 20 minutes. In the final two quarters ASU hit 60 percent of its shots while holding Washington State to only 19 percent. The Cougars had won four straight prior to ASU's current eight-game winning streak in the series.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• The Sun Devils come into Sunday's game ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebounds per game (6th/16.7 rpg), rebound margin (15th/+9.4), scoring defense (22nd/55.1 ppg) and 3-point FG pct. defense (23rd/26.3). Individually, senior G Reili Richardson is 13th in the nation in assist-to-TO ratio (2.75).
• ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in O-rebounds per game (1st/16.7 rpg), 3-point FG pct. defense (3rd/26.3), rebounding defense (3rd/32.3 rpg), scoring defense (3rd/55.1 ppg), rebounding margin (3rd/+9.4), steals (4th/9.8 spg) and turnover margin (4th/+3.9).
• ASU individual leaders in the Pac-12: F Ja'Tavia Tapley: 9th in rebs/7.0 rpg, 19th in scoring/12.1 ppg; G Reili Richardson: 3rd in assist-to-TO ratio (2.75) F Jayde Van Hyfte: 2nd in O-rebs/3.5 rpg, 20th in rebs/5.9 rpg; F Eboni Walker: 8th in O-rebs/2.6 rpg; G Kiara Russell: t13th 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 (16 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (12.1 ppg), rebounds (7.0) and free throws made (44) and attempted (68), is 2nd in FG pct. (49.7) and steals (1.3 spg) and 4th in assists (1.7 apg).
• Head coach Charli Turner Thorne needs two more wins for 500 in her career (458 in 23 seasons with ASU and 40 in three seasons with Northern Arizona).
• Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (511). She needs 24 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 27.7-9.3. Top contributors include: F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 8.0 ppg since returning from injury, Walker (6.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg), sophomore G Taya Hanson (5.6 ppg), freshman G Sara Bejedi (4.9 ppg) and sophomore G Iris Mbulito (4.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 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 (63 of 107) and Walker (47 of 74 both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 35x (15x in single-digits).
• ASU has scored 20 or more points off turnovers nine times (9-0 in those games), including a season-high 36 vs. Army (Nov. 10).
• In its last eight games, ASU has averaged 11.0 turnovers per game, 4.9 fewer turnovers than it averaged in its first 10 games (15.9). Richardson has 26 assists and only eight turnovers during that stretch.
• Through six games of Pac-12 play ASU is shooting eight percentage points higher from the FT line (73.3) 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 five 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.