WHEN: Friday at 7 p.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz. (Click for DFA traffic information)
TICKETS: Click here to purchase
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Arizona/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
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The No. 22 Arizona State women's basketball team returns to Desert Financial Arena this weekend to host Washington State on Friday (7 p.m. MST) and Washington on Sunday (12 p.m. MST). This weekend's contests begin a stretch in which the Sun Devils will play four of their final six regular season games at home. Friday's game vs. Washington State is the program's annual Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness. To support the cause, fans are encouraged to join the team in wearing pink.
The Sun Devils (16-8, 6-6 Pac-12) are coming off their toughest three-game sequence in recent memory as they came up short in contests vs. then-No. 8 UCLA (L, 70-61), at then-No. 9 Oregon State (L, 64-62) and at No. 3 Oregon (L, 79-48). ASU was without senior starting point guard Kiara Russell in both of last week's losses. Russell is the team leader in steals and has been its leading rebounder in conference games (5.4 rpg).
The Sun Devils (16-8, 6-6) will look to use the home court to get back to their winning ways as they are 10-2 this season at Desert Financial Arena. They come into this weekend's action in sixth place in the Pac-12 standings. They trail No. 11/fifth-place Oregon State (19-5, 7-5) by one game, No. 12/fourth-place Arizona (19-4, 8-4) by two games, and No. 7 UCLA (21-2, 10-2) and No. 8 Stanford (21-3, 10-2) who are tied for second place, by four games. Oregon (22-2, 11-1) currently sits atop the Pac-12. The top four finishers in regular season league play will earn first round byes for next month's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
Both of this weekend's games are rematches of games ASU was able to claim on the road last month: 67-50 at UW on Jan. 17 and 65-56 at WSU on Jan. 19. Seniors Ja'Tavia Tapley (17.5 ppg), Robbi Ryan (14.0 ppg) and Reili Richardson (10.0 ppg) combined to average 41.5 ppg in the two wins. The Sun Devils trailed WSU by 10 late in the third quarter, but closed with a 31-12 run over the last 12:37. Tapley and Ryan tied for the team lead with 20 points each with Tapley accounting for 17 of her 20 points in the second half.
Prior to those wins the Sun Devils made history in becoming the first unranked team to defeat consecutive Top 5 opponents when they knocked off then-No. 2 Oregon (Jan. 10) and then-No. 3 Oregon State (Jan. 12). ASU would go on to win five straight games before falling at Arizona 59-53 on January 24. They rebounded by defeating USC 76-75 on Jan. 31 in the program's first ever triple overtime game to give head coach Charli Turner Thorne the 500th win of her career.
TV/RADIO
Friday's game vs. Washington State will be televised by Pac-12 Arizona (Cindy Brunson, Joan Bonvicini). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Pregame coverage will start at 6:30 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 WASHINGTON STATE – ASU LEADS 47-18 SINCE 1986-87
The Sun Devils have been victorious in 36 of their last 43 meetings against WSU, including the last nine 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. ASU 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 nine-game winning streak in the series.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• For only the fourth time in the last two seasons, the Sun Devils will be entering a contest coming off consecutive losses after dropping their last three contests to then-No. 8 UCLA (70-61 on Feb. 2), then-No. 9 Oregon State (64-62 on Feb. 7) and No. 3 Oregon (79-48 last Sunday.) Over the last two seasons the Sun Devils are 13-4 when coming off a loss. In addition to its last three losses, ASU lost consecutive games last season on its trip to the Bay Area where it fell at Cal (69-60) and at Stanford (71-50). Last month ASU fell at UCLA (68-66 on Jan. 3) after dropping its Pac-12 opener to Arizona (58-53 on Dec. 29).
• 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 is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (528). She needs 11 assists to pass Briann January (538/2006-09) as ASU's all-time assists leader.
• In the last 11 games, senior G Robbi Ryan is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc (18-42). She has scored 17 or more points 5x during that stretch, including a career-high 25 points at Arizona (Jan. 24). Nine of Ryan's 12 double-digit scoring efforts this season have come in the last 13 games. In Pac-12 games, Ryan is 17th in the conference in scoring (13.3 ppg) and tied for 13th in 3-pointers (1.6 per game).
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (10th/15.9 rpg) and reb margin (29th/+7.8). Richardson is No. 21 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4).
• Graduate transfer 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 (22 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.5 ppg), rebounds (6.6) and free throws made (55) and attempted (89), is 2nd in steals (1.3 spg), FG pct. (47.4) and minutes (24.1) and 5th in assists (1.5 apg).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 25.0-9.6. Top contributors include: Sr. F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 6.8 ppg since returning from injury, Fr. F Eboni Walker (6.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Fr. G Sara Bejedi (4.5 ppg), So. G Iris Mbulito (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 apg) and So. G Taya Hanson (3.8 ppg).
• ASU has outrebounded the opposition in all but five games: at USC, vs. Oregon, vs. Oregon St., at Arizona, at Oregon. It has scored 15 or more second chance points eight times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Jayde Van Hyfte (78 of 134) and Walker (68 of 112) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• The Sun Devils have had 15 or fewer turnovers 9x in their last 12 games (averaged 11.2 TOs in those nine games. The exceptions were their contests vs. USC (26), vs. UCLA (16), at Oregon (18).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 44x (16x 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).