WHEN: Friday at 11 a.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz. (Click for DFA traffic information)
TICKETS: Click here to purchase
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KAZG 1440 AM
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
After playing its last three games on the road, the No. 19 Arizona State women's basketball team returns to Desert Financial Arena this weekend to host USC on Friday (11 a.m. MST) and No. 8 UCLA on Sunday (noon MST).
Friday's game is the Sun Devil women's basketball program's annual Sparky's Kids to College Field Trip Game. Now in its 14th season, the initiative was designed to introduce fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders to a college campus. Last year's field trip game welcomed a crowd of 7,322, which tied the largest number of fans for a field trip game since the initiative started in 2007.
The Sun Devils had their five-game winning streak snapped in last Friday's 59-53 loss at Arizona. After scoring 20 points in ASU's win at Washington State on Jan. 19, Robbi Ryan did everything she could to help the Sun Devils extend their winning streak as the senior guard scored a career-high 25 points, the most scored by a player against Arizona this season. Ryan, who went over 1,000 career points on Friday night (1,006), was the Sun Devils' only consistent threat from beyond the arc where she knocked down a career-high four triples. Also coming through with a solid outing was freshman Eboni Walker, who just missed her first career double-double with nine points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Sun Devils (15-5, 5-3 Pac-12) come into Friday's game tied for fourth place in the Pac-12 with No. 16 Arizona (16-3, 5-3). Both teams lead No. 10/fifth-place Oregon State (16-4, 4-4) by one game and trail No. 3 Oregon (17-2, 7-1), No. 6 Stanford (18-2, 7-1) and No. 8 UCLA (18-1, 7-1) – who are all tied for first place – by one game. Winners of its last three games, including an upset of then-unbeaten UCLA, USC (11-8, 3-5) is tied for seventh place. After Friday's game, the Sun Devils will start the second half of Pac-12 play with consecutive contests vs. UCLA (Feb. 2), at Oregon State (Feb. 7) and at Oregon (Feb. 9).
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 (19th in the nation in scoring defense) and at controlling the boards (9th in the nation in offensive rebounds and 21st in rebounding margin).
TV/RADIO
Friday's game vs. USC will be televised by Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles (Cindy Brunson, Maylana Martin Douglas). The game can also be heard on KAZG AM 1440 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Coverage will start at 10:30 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. He will be joined by former Sun Devil head coach Maura McHugh.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS USC
ASU has prevailed in seven of the last 10 meetings with five of those contests coming down to the final minute or OT. In 2015 ASU had to go to double OT before coming away with a 76-73 win in Los Angeles. In 2016 Sophie Brunner converted a 3-point play with 1.4 secs remaining to lift ASU to a 69-68 win in Tempe. In the rematch in Los Angeles, ASU denied USC's attempts to tie the score twice in the final 32 secs in ASU's 50-45 win. The two teams split in 2017 with each squad holding serve on its home floor: USC 65-50 in Los Angles/ASU 69-62 in Tempe. USC won the only meeting in 2018, 77-62 win in Los Angeles... ASU's bench scored 31 points in last year's 68-61 win in Tempe and 30 points in the win earlier this month... Current Sun Devil senior forward Ja'Tavia Tapley transferred to ASU from USC last spring.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Head coach Charli Turner Thorne needs one more win for 500 in her career (459 in 23 seasons with ASU and 40 in three seasons with NAU).
• Over the last two seasons the Sun Devils are 12-2 when coming off a loss. The only time ASU lost consecutive games last season was on trip to the Bay Area where it fell at Cal (69-60)/at Stanford (71-50). The most recent instance came earlier this month when ASU fell at UCLA after dropping its Pac-12 opener to Arizona.
• In the last 7 games, senior G Robbi Ryan is averaging 15.0 ppg and is shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc (12-29). She has scored 17 or more points 4x, including a career-high 25 points at Arizona (Jan. 24). Six of Ryan's nine double-digit scoring efforts this season have come in the last nine games.
• In her last 10 games, starting PG Kiara Russell has 28 assists and only 8 turnovers and has averaged 5.7 rebs, including a career-high 8 rebs twice.
• During its recent five-game winning streak, ASU has had three games that were up for grabs heading to the fourth quarter: vs. UO 42-52, vs. OSU 39-32, at WSU 42-46. In the fourth quarter of those games ASU outscored the opposition 69-39, connected on 51 pct of its FGs (22-43), 55 pct of its 3FGs (6-11) and 95 pct of its FTs (19-20). On the other end, the opposition made only 30 pct of its FGs (14-47), 19 pct. of its 3FGs (3-16) and 57 pct. of its FTs (8-14).
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (9th/16.4 rpg), scoring defense (19th/55.3 ppg), reb margin (21st/+8.8), 3-point FG pct. defense (36th/27.5) and fewest turnovers per game (39th/13.6).
• ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in O-rebs per game (2nd/16.4 rpg), 3-point FG pct. defense (2nd/27.5), scoring defense (3rd/55.3 ppg), rebounding defense (4th/32.8 rpg), reb margin (4th/+8.8), turnover margin (4th/+3.8) and steals (4th/9.7 spg).
• ASU individual leaders in the Pac-12: F Ja'Tavia Tapley: 10th in rebs/7.0 rpg; F Jayde Van Hyfte: 2nd in O-rebs/3.5 rpg, 20th in rebs/6.0 rpg; F Eboni Walker: 7th in O-rebs/2.7 rpg; G Kiara Russell: 7th in steals (1.6 spg).
• Graduate transfer Tapley has proven to be a difference maker for ASU. Named the Ann Meyers Drysdale/espnW/Pac-12 Player of the Week earlier this month, Tapley has played in every game (18 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (12.3 ppg), rebounds (7.0) and free throws made (54) and attempted (83), is 2nd steals (1.4 spg), 3rd in FG pct. (48.2) and 4th in assists (1.6 apg).
• Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (514). She needs 21 assists to pass Briann January (534/2006-09).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 25.8-9.1. Top contributors include: Sr. F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 6.6 ppg since returning from injury, Fr. F Eboni Walker (6.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg), So. G Taya Hanson (4.5 ppg), Fr. G Sara Bejedi (4.5 ppg) and So. G Iris Mbulito (4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg).
• ASU has outrebounded all but four of its opponents (at USC, vs. Oregon, vs. Oregon St., at Arizona). It has scored 15 or more second chance points seven times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Van Hyfte (68 of 116) and Walker (57 of 92) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 39x (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 10 games, ASU has averaged 11.2 turnovers per game, 4.7 fewer turnovers than it averaged in its first 10 games (15.9).