WHEN: Sunday at 12 p.m. MST
WHERE: Jon M Huntsman Center • Salt Lake City, Utah
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. 21 Arizona State women's basketball teams concludes its final regular season road trip on Sunday (noon MST) when it plays at Utah in the only meeting of the season between the two teams.
After competing in home-and-home contests with the same seven teams over the first eight weekends of Pac-12 play, ASU is ending the regular season against the four Pac-12 teams who it plays only one time: at Colorado (W, 65-59 on Friday), at Utah (Sunday), vs. Cal (Feb. 28), vs. Stanford (Mar. 1).
With three regular season games left to be played, the Sun Devils (19-8, 9-6 Pac-12) come into Sunday's game in sole possession of fifth place in the Pac-12, two games ahead of No. 15/sixth-place Oregon State (19-8, 7-8). The Sun Devils trail No. 11/fourth-place Arizona (22-4, 11-4) by two games. No. 3 Oregon (25-2, 14-1) currently leads the way in the Pac-12, followed by No. 4/second-place Stanford (24-3, 13-2) and No. 8/third-place UCLA (23-3, 12-3).
ASU started its current trip with a 65-59, come-from-behind win at Colorado on Friday. Seniors Ja'Tavia Tapley (16 points), Reili Richardson (16 points) and Robbi Ryan (15 points) combined for 47 points for the Sun Devils, who had their best shooting effort in Pac-12 play, connecting on 53 percent of their shots, including a season-high 64 percent (7-11 3FGs) from long range. With ASU down by six in the final frame, Tapley scored 7 straight points to put ASU back in front, 52-51. Richardson (7 points), Ryan (5 points) and Kiara Russell (1 point) then finished the 20-8 run (all 20 points scored by seniors) to close out the game. ASU allowed Colorado to shoot just 29 percent in the fourth quarter. The Buffaloes missed eight straight shots and missed 10 of their final 13 attempts after they took a 51-45 lead.
Utah (12-14, 5-10) has lost its last three since posting a road sweep of the Washington schools earlier this month. The Utes' perimeter game has proven to be one of the Pac-12's best as they are ranked third in the Pac-12 in both 3-point FG percentage (36.0) and 3-point FGs per game (8.35).
The winning margin in each of the last four meetings between ASU and Utah has been two points. Last season, the Sun Devils swept the season series with a pair of dramatic come-from-behind wins. In the first meeting, Richardson's buzzer-beater capped an 8-0 run allowing ASU to leave Salt Lake City with a 65-63 win. A little more than a month later in Tempe, ASU set a program record for biggest comeback – 18 points – by closing with a 20-0 in the last 7:45 run to defeat Utah 60-58.
TV/RADIO
Sunday's game at Utah will be televised by Pac-12 Arizona (Krista Blunk, Amanda Smith). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Pregame coverage will start at 11:30 a.m. 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 UTAH (ASU LEADS 14-10 SINCE 1975-76)
ASU has won 10 of the last 11 meetings. The last four games have been decided by two points each. Last season, the Sun Devils swept the season series with a pair of dramatic come-from-behind wins. ASU's eight-game winning streak over Utah was snapped after the Utes edged ASU 58-56 on Jan. 19, 2018 in Tempe. ASU won the front end of the 2017-18 series 83-81 in Salt Lake City (Dec. 31, 2017). Kianna 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. Ibis became the first Sun Devils to score 30 or more points since Kylan Loney accomplished the feat vs. Arizona on January 31, 2004.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• ASU needs one more win for its seventh consecutive 20-win season. Next month the Sun Devils will be looking to make their seventh straight trip to NCAAs.
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (14th/15.4 rpg) and rebound margin (28th/+7.3). Reili Richardson is No. 14 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Earlier this season ASU became the first unranked team to defeat consecutive top five opponents when it upset then-No. 2 Oregon (72-66 on Jan. 10) and then-No. 3 Oregon State (55-47 on Jan. 12).
• Five of ASU's six Pac-12 losses (79-48 loss at Oregon on Feb. 9 not included) have been by an average of 4.8 points. Two of those losses were two-point setbacks on the road: 68-66 at then-unbeaten and No. 10 UCLA on Jan. 3 and 64-62 at then-No. 9 Oregon State on Feb. 2.
• Senior Reili Richardson (currently with 543 career assists) broke Sun Devil great Briann January's career assists record (538 assists/2006-09) in ASU's win over Washington on Feb. 16.
• Nine of Richardson's 12 double-digit scoring efforts this season have come in the last 12 games. The stretch includes a career-high 24-point performance in ASU's triple OT win vs. USC (Jan. 31) in which Richardson scored 19 points in the 2nd half and OT, including the game-winning 3-pointer . In the last 7 games, Richardson, who needs 105 points to reach 1000 for her career, is averaging 15.0 ppg (leads team).
• Eleven of senior G Robbi Ryan's 14 double-digit scoring games this season have come in the last 16 games. She has scored 17 or more points 5x during that sequence, including a career-high 25 points at Arizona (Jan. 24), the most points scored by an individual against Arizona this season.
• Graduate transfer Ja'Tavia Tapley has proven to be a difference maker for ASU. Named the Ann Meyers Drysdale/espnW/Pac-12 Player of the Week last month, Tapley has played in every game (25 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.8 ppg), rebounds (6.4) and free throws made (64) and attempted (104), is 2nd in steals (1.2 spg), FG pct. (48.8) and minutes (24.1) and 4th in assists (1.6 apg).
• ASU has outrebounded the opposition in all but six games: at USC, vs. ORE, vs. OSU, at ARIZ, at ORE, at COLO. It has scored 15 or more second chance points nine times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Jayde Van Hyfte (84 of 146) and Eboni Walker (72 of 119) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• 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. Six Sun Devils have led/tied for the team lead in scoring multiple times: Tapley (8x), Ryan (7x), Richardson (6x), Walker (3x), Jamie Ruden (2x), Taya Hanson (2x).
• The Sun Devils have had 15 or fewer turnovers 11x in their last 15 games. The exceptions were their contests vs. USC (26), vs. UCLA (16), at Oregon (18), at Colorado (17).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 49x (17x 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).