WHEN: Sunday at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT
WHERE: Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Ore.
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Oregon/Pac-12 Now
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE AUDIO: Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel
LIVE STATS: Click here
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For the fourth time in five games and eighth time in its last 12 contests, the No. 19 Arizona State women's basketball team will face a Top 20 opponent (sixth Top 10 assignment) when it takes on third-ranked Oregon on Sunday (2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT) in Eugene, Ore.
The Sun Devils (16-7, 6-5 Pac-12) are currently in sixth place in the Pac-12 standings. They trail No. 9 Oregon State (19-4, 7-4) and No. 12 Arizona (18-4, 7-4), who are tied for fourth place, by one game; No. 6 Stanford (20-3, 9-2) and No. 10 UCLA (20-2, 9-2), who are tied for second place, by three games and first-place Oregon (21-2, 10-1) by four games.
The Sun Devils led Friday's game at Oregon State for more than 34 minutes and appeared to be on their way to their fifth-straight win over the Beavers after Ja'Tavia Tapley scored on a jumper to give ASU a 62-60 lead with 3.1 seconds left. The script flipped in a matter of moments as the Beavers used a four-point flurry in the final 3.1 seconds to come out on top 64-62 and end a four-game losing streak to the Sun Devils. ASU seniors Robbi Ryan (20 points, tied for game high), Reili Richardson (11 points), Tapley (10 points) and Jamie Ruden (eight points) combined to score 49 points against OSU. ASU played Friday's game without starting senior point guard Kiara Russell, who was injured in preparations leading up to the game and is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis
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 come out on top 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 defeat OSU 55-47. Tapley (15.0 ppg), Ryan (13.5 ppg), Richardson (11.0 ppg) and Ruden (10.5 ppg) all averaged double figures in the two wins. 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 – including the game-winning 3-pointer – in the victory over USC, the 500th win of head coach Charli Turner Thorne's career.
TV/RADIO
Sunday's game at Oregon will be televised by Pac-12 Network/Oregon (Krista Blunk, Ros Gold-Onwude). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 and on the Sun Devil Athletics TuneIn Channel. Pregame coverage will start at 2:30 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
Although ASU has won 28 of the last 37 meetings, the Ducks have won four of the last five, 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 came through with strong defensive efforts in each of the last three games played in Tempe. In last month's upset win, ASU held the Ducks and their top-ranked offense 23.5 points below their scoring average. Last season Oregon had its second-lowest point total (66 points) of the regular season in Tempe. In 2018, ASU held Oregon to its lowest point total of the season (57 points) in Tempe.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• For only the third time in the last two seasons, the Sun Devils will be entering a contest coming off back-to-back losses: 70-61 to then-No. 8 UCLA last Sunday and 64-62 at No. 9 Oregon State on Friday night. Over the last two seasons the Sun Devils are 13-3 when coming off a loss. In addition to its last two losses, ASU lost consecutive games last season on its trip to the Bay Area where it fell at Cal (69-60)/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).
• ASU's five Pac-12 losses 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 No. 9 Oregon State on Friday.
• Senior Reili Richardson is currently in 2nd place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (527). She needs 12 assists to pass Briann January (538/2006-09) as ASU's all-time assists leader.
• In the last 10 games, senior G Robbi Ryan is averaging 15.1 ppg and is shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc (17-39). She has scored 17 or more points 5x, 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 12 games. In Pac-12 games, Ryan is 14th in the conference in scoring (14.2 ppg) and tied for 10th in 3-pointers (1.6 per game).
• ASU is currently ranked among the top 40 in the nation in O-rebs per game (8th/16.3 rpg), reb margin (20th/+8.4) and scoring defense (38th/57.2 ppg). Richardson is No. 15 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5).
• 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 (21 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 steals (1.3 spg), 3rd in FG pct. (47.1) and 5th in assists (1.5 apg).
• On average, ASU's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves 24.9-9.2. Top contributors include: Sr. F Jamie Ruden, who has averaged 7.0 ppg since returning from injury, Fr. F Eboni Walker (6.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Fr. G Sara Bejedi (4.4 ppg), So. G Taya Hanson (3.8 ppg), and So. G Iris Mbulito (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 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. Jayde Van Hyfte (77 of 131) and Walker (68 of 111) both have more offensive than defensive rebounds.
• The Sun Devils have had 15 or fewer turnovers 9x in their last 11 games (averaged 11.2 TOs in those nine games. The exceptions were last week's contests vs. USC (26 turnovers) and vs. UCLA (16 turnovers).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 43x (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).
• ASU is shooting 72.9 percent from the line in Pac-12 games, nearly eight percentage points higher than the 65.3 percent it shot in non-conference games.