WHEN: Friday at 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT
WHERE: Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore.
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Arizona/Oregon/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
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The No. 19 Arizona State women's basketball team will encounter the Pac-12's most challenging road trip this weekend when it travels to the state of Oregon to face No. 10 Oregon State on Friday (8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT) and No. 3 Oregon on Sunday (2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT).
The Sun Devils (16-6, 6-4 Pac-12) and Beavers (18-4, 6-4) are tied for fifth place in the Pac-12 heading into Friday's game. Both teams trail No. 12/fourth-place Arizona (18-3, 7-3) by one game and No. 10/third-place UCLA (19-2, 8-2) by two games. Oregon (20-2, 9-1) and No. 6 Stanford (20-2, 9-1) are both tied for first place atop the Pac-12 standings.
Last month 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 and then-No. 3 Oregon State. ASU outscored the Ducks 30-14 in the fourth quarter – which included a game-changing 14-0 run – to beat the Oregon 72-66 on Jan. 10. Two days later, tied at 45-45 with the Beavers late in the game, ASU ended with a 10-2 run to defeatOSU 55-47. Ja'Tavia Tapley (15.0 ppg), Robbi Ryan (13.5 ppg), Reili Richardson (11.0 ppg) and Jamie Ruden (10.5 ppg) all averaged double figures in scoring for the Sun Devils. Tapley was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's Player of the Week, the espnW National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her performance in the wins.
ASU would go on to win five straight games before falling at Arizona 59-53 on January 24. 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. Last week, the Sun Devils split their two contests, defeating USC 76-75 in the program's first ever triple overtime game and coming up short against No. 8 UCLA 70-61. Richardson (18.0 ppg) and Ryan (13.0 ppg) combined to average 31 points in the two games. Richardson scored a career-high 24 points in the victory over USC, the 500th win of head coach Charli Turner Thorne's career.
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 (34th in the nation in scoring defense) and at controlling the boards (6th in the nation in offensive rebounds and 17th in rebounding margin).
TV/RADIO
Friday's game at Oregon State will be televised by Pac-12 Oregon (Rich Burk, 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 8:30 p.m. MT. 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 OREGON STATE
ASU has won 26 of 35 and four in a row against OSU, but the Beavers have gotten the better of it in recent years with wins in seven of the last 11 meetings. ASU's 57-51 win in the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals snapped OSU's streak of seven straight wins. Robbi Ryan (12 points, 4-8 FGs/4-4 FTs) and former Sun Devils Courtney Ekmark (game-high 18 points, 5-7 3-point FGs) and Kianna Ibis (14 points, career-high 14 rebounds) combined to score 44 of ASU's 57 points in the win. Last year ASU swept Oregon State for the first time since 2011 and became the first Pac-12 team to accomplish the feat since 2013 after defeating OSU 79-76 (2OT) in Corvallis and 66-54 in Tempe. Ibis (24.0. ppg vs. OSU last season) averaged 18.5 points and made 94 percent of her FGs (15-16) in the second half and OT of the two wins.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Over the last two seasons the Sun Devils are 13-2 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 last month when ASU fell at UCLA (Jan. 3) after dropping its Pac-12 opener to Arizona (Dec. 29).
• Senior Reili Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (523). She needs 16 assists to pass Briann January (538/2006-09).
• In the last nine games, senior G Robbi Ryan is averaging 14.6 ppg and is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc (13-34). She has scored 17 or more points 4x, including a career-high 25 points at Arizona (Jan. 24). Eight of Ryan's 11 double-digit scoring efforts this season have come in the last 11 games.
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (6th/16.5 rpg), reb margin (17th/+8.7), 3-point FG pct. defense, scoring defense (34th/56.9 ppg) and (38th/27.7). Richardson is No. 20 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5).
• ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in O-rebs per game (1st/16.6 rpg), 3-point FG pct. defense (2nd/27.7), scoring defense (3rd/56.9 ppg), rebounding defense (3rd/33.4 rpg), reb margin (3rd/+8.7)and steals (4th/9.4 spg).
• ASU individual leaders in the Pac-12: F Ja'Tavia Tapley: 12th in rebs/6.6 rpg; F Jayde Van Hyfte: 3rd in O-rebs/3.3 rpg; G Reili Richardson: 14th in 3-pointers/1.5 per game, 4th in assist-to-TO ratio (2.5); F Eboni Walker: 5th in O-rebs/3.1 rpg; G Kiara Russell: 8th 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 last month, Tapley has played in every game (20 starts) and currently leads the team in scoring (11.7 ppg), rebounds (6.6) and free throws
made (55) and attempted (85), is 2nd in FG pct. (47.6) and steals (1.3 spg) and 4th in assists (1.5 apg).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 25.3-8.9. Top contributors include: Sr. F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 6.9 ppg since returning from injury, Fr. F Eboni Walker (6.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Fr. G Sara Bejedi (4.5 ppg), So. G Taya Hanson (3.8 ppg), and So. G Iris Mbulito (4.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.2 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 eight times, including a season-high 32 vs. Army. Van Hyfte (73 of 125) and Walker (67 of 109) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in quarter 41x (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).