WHEN: Friday at 7 p.m. MST
WHERE: CU Events Center • Boulder, Colo.
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 takes its final road trip of the regular season this weekend when it travels north for games at Colorado (Friday at 7 p.m.) and at Utah (Sunday at 12 p.m. MST). After competing in home-and-home contests with the same seven teams over the first eight weekends of Pac-12 play, the Sun Devils will now have a succession of games against conference foes they will be seeing for the first time this season.
Colorado (15-10, 4-10) has proven to be a difficult assignment for opposing teams throughout the season. On three different occasions the Buffaloes nearly pulled a major conference upset as they fell to UCLA by only three points and nearly defeated Stanford twice: once in Maples Pavilion (lost in OT) and again last week in Boulder (Stanford hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer).
With four regular season games left to be played, the Sun Devils (18-8, 8-6 Pac-12) come into this weekend's contests in sole possession of fifth place in the Pac-12 standings. They lead No. 15 Oregon State (19-7, 7-7) by one game and Utah (12-13, 5-9) and USC (13-12, 5-9), who are tied for seventh place, by three games. The Sun Devils trail No. 12/fourth-place Arizona (21-4, 10-4) by two games, No. 8/third-place UCLA (22-3, 11-3) by three games and No. 4/second-place Stanford (23-3, 12-2) by four games. No 3 Oregon (24-2, 13-1) currently sits atop the Pac-12 standings. The top four finishers in regular season league play will earn first round byes for next month's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
The Sun Devils captured wins over Washington State (62-59 on Friday) and Washington (72-68 on Sunday) last weekend to post season sweeps over both schools. Senior Reili Richardson averaged 19.5 ppg, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the two wins. With six assists in Sunday's win, Richardson (539 career assists) passed former Sun Devil great Briann January (538 assists from 2006-09) to become ASU's all-time assists leader.
In Friday's game against Washington State, Richardson scored 13 of her team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter. With the score tied at 50-50 and 3:20 to go in the game, Richardson made two consecutive 3-pointers to put the Sun Devils ahead 56-50. Richardson added a team-high 17 points against Washington while senior teammates Ja'Tavia Tapley (13 points), Jamie Ruden (12 points) and Kiara Russell (nine points) combined for 34 points.
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.
TV/RADIO
Friday's game at Colorado will be televised by Pac-12 Arizona (Thad Anderson, Monique Billings). 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.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS COLORADO
The Sun Devils have won 13 of the last 15 meetings, including the last 11 in a row. Last season ASU swept the regular season series – 76-70 in Boulder and 66-49 in Tempe – and claimed a third win in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament (66-49)... Former Sun Devil Alex Earl (2009-12) is an assistant coach on Colorado's staff.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• ASU needs two more wins for its seventh consecutive 20-win season.
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (10th/15.8 rpg) and rebound margin (26th/+7.8). Richardson is No. 17 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 (539 career assists) broke all-time Sun Devil great Briann January's career assists record (538 assists/2006-09) in ASU's win over Washington on Feb. 16.
• Eight of Richardson's 11 double-digit scoring efforts this season have come in the last 11 games. The stretch includes a career-high 24-point performance vs. USC (Jan. 31) in which Richardson scored 19 points in the second half and overtime – including the game-winning 3-pointer – in ASU's triple overtime win over the Trojans that gave head coach Charli Turner Thorne the 500th coaching win of her career. Richardson, who needs 121 more points to reach 1000 for her career, is shooting 87.5 percent from the line (42-48) in Pac-12 play.
• Ten of senior G Robbi Ryan's 13 double-digit scoring games this season have come in the last 14 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 (24 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.7 ppg), rebounds (6.5) and free throws made (58) and attempted (94), is 2nd in steals (1.2 spg), FG pct. (48.2) and minutes (24.1) and 4th in assists (1.6 apg).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 24.5-10.2. Top contributors include: Sr. F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 6.8 ppg since returning from injury, Fr. F Eboni Walker (6.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Fr. G Sara Bejedi (4.2 ppg), So. G Iris Mbulito (3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.3 apg) and So. G Taya Hanson (3.7 ppg). Walker Is shooting 71 percent (12-17 FGs) from the floor in the last four games She is the only Sun Devil shooting higher than 50 percent (54.7) in Pac-12 play.
• 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 nine times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Jayde Van Hyfte (83 of 145) and Walker (72 of 119) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• The Sun Devils have had 15 or fewer turnovers 11x in their last 14 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 47x (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).