WHEN: Friday at 6 p.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
TICKETS: Click here to purchase
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Oregon/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
Coming off a split on its trip to UCLA/USC, the Arizona State women's basketball team returns to Desert Financial Arena this weekend to host No. 2 Oregon (Friday at 6 p.m. MT) and No. 3 Oregon State (Sunday at 2 p.m. MT).
This weekend's games will conclude a stretch in which the Sun Devils will have played four Top 25 teams – No. 18 Arizona, No. 10 UCLA (now No. 8), No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State – in their first five conference games. ASU started the sequence with a 58-53 loss to Arizona (Dec. 30), which snapped ASU's season-best six-game winning streak. The Sun Devils followed that with a 68-66 loss at UCLA last Friday.
Against Arizona, the Sun Devils held the Wildcats to their lowest point total of the season and had a chance to tie/take the lead in the final minute despite shooting 30 percent for the game. Against UCLA, senior guard Robbi Ryan scored a season-high 17 points and tied her career high with a trio of 3-pointers. ASU fought its way back from an early 11-point deficit to eventually take the lead by shooting 63 percent in the second and third quarters. Like the loss to Arizona, the Sun Devils had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute but once again came up short. Helping ASU get back into the game vs. Arizona was a 47-percent shooting effort in the fourth quarter. A similar performance in the final period against the Bruins likely would have put ASU over the top. Instead the Sun Devils just missed out on the upset after shooting 21 percent over the final 10 minutes.
The Sun Devils bounced back from the two near upsets with a 63-54 win at USC on Sunday. Sophomore forward Jayde Van Hyfte led the way, tying her career high in scoring with 12 points (5-7 FGs). Van Hyfte was one of 11 Sun Devils who scored in the game.
Oregon (12-1, 2-0 Pac-12) is one of four Pac-12 teams – No. 8 UCLA (14-0, 3-0), No. 3 Oregon State (14-0, 2-0), No. 5 Stanford (13-1, 2-0) – that has yet to lose a game in conference play. A participant in last year's NCAA Final Four, the Ducks are ranked among the top 10 in the nation in several statistical categories including: scoring offense (1st), assist-to-turnover ratio (1st), assists per game (2nd), field goal percentage (2nd), 3-point FGs per game (6th).
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 (third in the nation in offensive rebounds and 10th in rebounding margin).
COVERAGE
Friday's game vs. Oregon will be televised by Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Oregon (Cindy Brunson, Tammy Blackburn). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Coverage will start at 6 p.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 OREGON
Although ASU has won 27 of the last 36 meetings, the Ducks have won the last four, sweeping the season series in 2018 (74-64 in Eugene/57-44 in Tempe) and 2019 (77-61 in Eugene/66-59 in Tempe). The Sun Devils have come through with strong defensive efforts in each of the last two games played in Tempe. In 2018, ASU held Oregon to its lowest point total of the season (57 points). Last season Oregon had its second-lowest point total (66 points) of the regular season in Tempe.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• The Sun Devils come into Friday's game ranked among the top 40 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (3rd/17.8 rpg), rebound margin (6th/+11.9) and scoring defense (23rd/55.2).
• ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds per game (1st/17.8 rpg), rebounding defense (2nd/31.2 rpg), rebounding margin (2nd/+11.9), steals (3rd/10.2 spg) and scoring defense (4th/55.2 ppg).
• ASU individual leaders in the Pac-12: Ja'Tavia Tapley: 9th in rebs/7.3 rpg, 20th in scoring/11.5 ppg; Reili Richardson: 15th in the nation and 5th in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7); Jayde Van Hyfte: 3rd in offensive rebs/3.5 rpg, 18th in rebs/6.2 rpg; Eboni Walker: 6th in offensive rebs/2.9 rpg; Kiara Russell: t12th in steals (1.5 spg).
• ASU's last win over a team ranked as high as No. 2 came when it defeated Stanford 70-63 in the championship game of the first Pac-10 Tournament (Mar. 4, 2002).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 28.8-8.7. Walker is averaging 9.2 points and shooting 63 percent (24-38 FGs) in ASU's last six games. That stretch includes a career-high 13 points at New Mexico State (Dec. 18) and a 12-point, career-high eight-rebound effort vs. Arizona (Dec. 30).
• ASU has outrebounded all but one of its opponents (at USC). It has scored 15 or more second chance points six times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Van Hyfte (52 of 93) and Walker (44 of 70) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• In its last five games, ASU has averaged 11.4 turnovers per game, 4.5 fewer turnovers than it averaged in its first 10 games (15.9). Reili Richardson (18 A, 6 TO), Kiara Russell (17 A, 8 TO), and Iris Mbulito (15 A, 6 TO) have combined for 50 assists and only 20 turnovers in the last five games.
• Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (503). She needs 32 assists to pass Briann January and become ASU's all-time assists leader (534/2006-09).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 29x (13x 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).
• Graduate transfer Ja'Tavia Tapley has proven to be a dominant presence thus far. She has played in every game (13 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.5 ppg), rebounds (7.3) and free throws made (35) and attempted (55), is 2nd in steals (1.3 spg), 3rd in FG pct. (49.3) and 4th in assists (1.7 apg). Tapley, who had a streak of three straight double-doubles last month, pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in ASU's win over BYU (Dec. 6), the highest single-game rebound total in more than 20 years.
• With senior post Jamie 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 Kiara Russell (two games) and Robbi Ryan (1.5 games) and sophomore guard Jamie Loera (12 games) 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 their 80-66 setback at Minnesota on Nov. 17. ASU is currently receiving votes in both the AP and coaches polls.