THE GAME: Sun Devil WBB (8-7, 0-4 Pac-12) vs. Oregon State (9-6, 1-3 Pac-12)
WHEN: Sunday at 11 a.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
TV: Pac-12 Network, Arizona, Oregon
RADIO: KAZG 1440 AM
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (7-8, 0-4 Pac-12) plays the second in a stretch of five of seven games at home on Sunday at 11 a.m. when it takes on Oregon State (9-6, 1-3) at Desert Financial Arena.
As challenging as ASU's non-conference schedule was – eight of its 11 contests were vs. teams that qualified for postseason play in 2022 – the beginning of conference play meant an even higher degree of difficulty as evidenced by the results of ASU's first four Pac-12 contests.
The Sun Devils dropped their first Pac-12 home game of the season 82-62 vs. Oregon on Friday. ASU led by as many as seven and was up by two after Meg Newman's layup put ASU back up 26-24. The Ducks scored the last eight points of the first half and opened the third quarter with a 19-4 run to break open the game.
For the third time in four games, the Sun Devils connected on a season-high nine 3-pointers, hitting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Tyi Skinner (20 points), Treasure Hunt (17 points) and Jaddan Simmons (10 points) combined for 47 of ASU's 62 points. Hunt pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Skinner (4-8) and Hunt (3-6) combined to knock down 50 percent (7-14) of their 3-point attempts while Simmons and Trayanna Crisp tied for the team lead with five assists.
ASU's bad luck with injuries once again was a factor as starting senior guard Isadora Sousa, who returned at the start of Pac-12 play after missing ASU's last four non-conference games due to injury, went down less than three minutes into Friday's game.
Oregon represented the third ranked opponent ASU played in four games. The Sun Devils opened Pac-12 play with three straight road games in five days, including at current No. 15 Arizona (Dec. 29) and at No. 2 Stanford (Dec. 31).
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the 1st half at Arizona, ASU put together a 9-2 run that culminated with a 3-pointer by Hunt that got ASU back within single digits at the start of the 3rd quarter. UA scored the next seven points starting a scoring run that eventually put the game out of reach. At Stanford, the difficulty of ASU's task of trying to upset the No. 2 team on its homecourt became exponentially more difficult after the Cardinal jumped out to a 16-3 lead. At Cal, after Hunt tied the game at 55-55 in the first minute of the fourth quarter, ASU suddenly hit a cold spell on the offensive end. Over a period of seven-plus minutes ASU saw its ability to influence the outcome slowly slip away as the Bears methodically put together a game-deciding 12-0 scoring run.
ASU was led in the three games by Skinner, who averaged 19.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Skinner posted her first career double-double with 13 points/10 rebounds against Cal. Hunt averaged 15.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Skinner (10) and Hunt (7) combined for 17 triples in the three games. Jaddan Simmons had a team-high 14 points in the loss at Cal.
ASU was boosted by the return of Sousa, who played at Arizona for the first time since Nov. 30. After accounting for five points, five rebounds in her return, Sousa scored a season-high seven points in ASU's next two games at Stanford Cal. Sousa's return to the floor was tempered by an illness that limited the availability of freshman forward Journey Thompson. Recently elevated to the starting lineup, Thompson played only 14 minutes in the three games: started at Arizona (10 minutes), missed ASU's game at Stanford and returned in a reserve role at Cal (four minutes).
SERIES NOTES VERSUS OREGON STATE
• ASU has won 27 of the last 38 meetings, but the Beavers have gotten the better of it in recent years with wins in nine of the last 14 games.
• The Beavers won the most recent meeting, 54-49, in the first round of the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament.
• ASU's 67-57 win on Feb. 4, 2022 in Tempe was the first meeting between the two squads since February, 2020, as both contests in 2021 were canceled due to Covid-19 as was the first of two scheduled regular season games (scheduled to be played at OSU) in 2022.
• On the back end of the home-sand-home matchups in 2020, OSU's basket at the buzzer gave the Beavers a 64-62 win in Corvallis and snapped ASU's four-game winning streak in the series.
• The game that extended ASU's winning streak to four was the second of its consecutive wins over Top 5 teams as two days after defeating No. 2 Oregon, ASU knocked off No. 3 OSU 55-47 on Jan. 12, 2020. ASU's win prevented the Beavers from becoming the No. 1 team in the poll the following day.
• ASU's 57-51 win in the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals snapped OSU's streak of seven straight wins. In 2018-19, ASU swept Oregon State for the first time since 2011 and became the first Pac-12 team to accomplish the feat since 2013.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NAME TYI SKINNER YET... GET READY
Junior guard Tyi Skinner, who transferred to ASU from Delaware in the offseason, is quickly ascending to 'must-see' status for all basketball fans. In a sport in which one's height is usually the measurable most associated with its competitors, at five-foot-five, Skinner is more often than not making the biggest plays on the court.
Currently the owner of a Pac-12 high nine 20-point games this season, Skinner needs 30 points to reach 1000 for her career. Twenty-nine of Skinner's 42 makes from long range have come in ASU's last eight contests. She is shooting 47 pct (29-62) from beyond the arc and averaging 20.2 points during that stretch.
On Dec. 4 vs. Missouri, Skinner tied her career high in scoring for the second time in three games (29 points) and came one triple short of tying the single-game school record after knocking down six vs. the Tigers.
As of Jan. 7, Skinner, who has scored in double figures in every game, is 2nd in the Pac-12 and 18th in the nation in scoring (20.4 ppg). She is also among the Pac-12's leaders in free throws made (1st/71/21st in the nation) and attempted (2nd/85/31st in the nation), minutes per game (2nd/35.9/30th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (3rd/2.73/36th in the nation), free throw percentage (5th/83.5), steals per game (5th/2.0) and 3-point FG percentage (6th/38.7).
Skinner's 20-point efforts include consecutive 24-point efforts at New Mexico (Nov. 20) and vs. American (Nov. 25), a pair of career-high 29-point games at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) and vs. Missouri (Dec. 4) and a 26-point showing at Arizona (Dec. 29), the most points given up by the Wildcats this season. Against Missouri (Dec. 4), Skinner's six triples came one short of tying the single-game school record.
While it is her scoring she has come to be known for, Skinner makes an effort to be a contributor no matter where she is on the court and no matter whether the ball is in her hands or not.
• Has had 3 or more steals 6x times this season, including a season/career-high 4 at Montana State (Nov. 15). Skinner also opened Pac-12 play with consecutive 3-steal games at Arizona (Dec. 29) and at Stanford (Dec. 31).
• In consecutive games, Skinner dished out 6 assists at SFA (Dec. 11) and followed that with a career high-tying 7 assists vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17).
• Has pulled down 5 or more rebounds 3x. In addition to scoring 13 points at Cal (Jan. 3), Skinner pulled down a team- and career-high 10 rebounds for the first double-double of her career.
SIMMONS' SOLID, STEADY PLAY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ASU'S SUCCESS
With 50 starts in all 50 games she played in over her first two seasons, Jaddan Simmons was ASU's most experienced returning player this season. As great as Simmons' play was over her first two seasons in Tempe, she has taken it to even greater heights this season.
A starter in all 14 games she has played this season (missed ASU's game vs. Missouri on Dec. 14 due to illness), Simmons opened the 2022-23 campaign with nine straight double-digit scoring efforts, including a career high-tying 22 points in ASU's season opener vs. Northern Arizona (Nov. 7). Like fellow backcourt teammate Tyi Skinner, Simmons is a difference maker no matter where she is on the court as she enters Sunday's game as the team leader in assists per game (3.1), minutes per game (36:35/1st in Pac-12/16th in the nation) and blocks per game (0.9/t13th in the Pac-12), is 2nd in scoring (12.3 ppg), steals per game (1.6), free throws made (59/2nd in the Pac-12) and attempted (77/3rd in the Pac-12) and free throw percentage (76.6/9th in the Pac-12) and 4th in rebounds per game (3.7).
THIS TREASURE IS NOT HIDDEN
Junior guard Treasure Hunt joined ASU in the offseason after playing her first two seasons at Kentucky where she started 30 of 45 games.
Hunt had a strong start to the season, averaging a double-double over the season's first four games (13.5 ppg/10.3 rpg). The opening sequence included a then-career high 19 points in ASU's win at Montana State (Nov. 15). She averaged 4.5 ppg in her next four games, two of which came in the immediate aftermath of an injury she incurred in ASU's loss to Notre Dame (Nov. 26). The injury caused Hunt to miss ASU's ensuing game at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30).
ASU's slower pace of playing games – the Sun Devils played nine games over the first 27 days of the season (Nov. 7 - Dec. 4) followed that with a stretch in which they played two games in 23 days (Dec. 5 - Dec. 28) – benefitted Hunt's ability to heal from her injury. In recent games she has once again been a consistently solid contributor as she has averaged 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in ASU's last six games. In ASU's non-conference finale vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17) Hunt had career-high 22-point outing. She accounted for her third double-double of the season (17 points, 12 rebounds) vs. Oregon (Jan. 6). Hunt is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (34.1) and 10th rebounds per game (7.4).
CONTRIBUTORS APLENTY RESPONSIBLE FOR ASU'S SUCCESS
• In ASU's games vs. Prairie View A&M and at Arizona, Meg Newman came off the bench and provided the Sun Devils with big-time efforts that included per-game averages of 11.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Newman had career highs in points (12) and rebounds (18) for her first career double-double in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Newman's 18 boards were the most for a Sun Devil since Ja'Tavia Tapley pulled down 18 on Dec. 6, 2019, against BYU. Newman, who leads the team in field goal percentage (50.0 percent), is currently 11th in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game (7.1) and offensive rebounds per game (2.7/7th in the Pac-12).
• TCU transfer Kayla Mokwuah is 3rd on the team in rebounds per game (4.9), 2nd in offensive rebounds per game (2.3 rpg/13th in the Pac-12) and 5th in scoring (5.7 ppg). Mokwuah's second career double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds) proved critical in ASU's OT win at New Mexico (Nov. 20). She also scored in double figures (10 points) in ASU's come-from-behind win over GCU (Nov. 30).
• After accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the fourth quarter of ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30), freshman forward Journey Thompson had her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2) before getting injured prior to ASU's following game vs. Missouri (Dec. 4). In her first start, Thompson accounted for 11 points and six rebounds in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Thompson only played in 14 minutes in ASU's first three Pac-12 contests, including a DNP at Stanford (Dec. 31), due to illness.
• Junior guard Sydney Erikstrup is 3rd on the team in 3-pointers per game (0.5). Erikstrup posted career highs in scoring (11 points) and 3-pointers (3) in ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30).
• Freshman guard Trayanna Crisp averaged double figures in scoring (11.5 ppg) and connected on 60 percent of her field goals (9-15) at the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26). Crisp, who made her first career start in place of Jaddan Simmons (illness) vs. Missouri on Dec. 4, is currently 3rd on the team in assists per game (1.8). She has had a season-high 5 assists three times.
• In the 11 games she has played in (missed four due to injury), senior guard Isadora Sousa has connected on 52 percent of her FGs (14-27). Sousa had a career-high 12 rebounds vs. American (Nov. 25) and has scored a career high-tying seven points in each of ASU's last two games (at Stanford/Dec. 31 and at Cal/Jan. 2). She went down due to injury less than three minutes into ASU/s game vs. Oregon (Jan. 6).
WHEN: Sunday at 11 a.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
TV: Pac-12 Network, Arizona, Oregon
RADIO: KAZG 1440 AM
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (7-8, 0-4 Pac-12) plays the second in a stretch of five of seven games at home on Sunday at 11 a.m. when it takes on Oregon State (9-6, 1-3) at Desert Financial Arena.
As challenging as ASU's non-conference schedule was – eight of its 11 contests were vs. teams that qualified for postseason play in 2022 – the beginning of conference play meant an even higher degree of difficulty as evidenced by the results of ASU's first four Pac-12 contests.
The Sun Devils dropped their first Pac-12 home game of the season 82-62 vs. Oregon on Friday. ASU led by as many as seven and was up by two after Meg Newman's layup put ASU back up 26-24. The Ducks scored the last eight points of the first half and opened the third quarter with a 19-4 run to break open the game.
For the third time in four games, the Sun Devils connected on a season-high nine 3-pointers, hitting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Tyi Skinner (20 points), Treasure Hunt (17 points) and Jaddan Simmons (10 points) combined for 47 of ASU's 62 points. Hunt pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Skinner (4-8) and Hunt (3-6) combined to knock down 50 percent (7-14) of their 3-point attempts while Simmons and Trayanna Crisp tied for the team lead with five assists.
ASU's bad luck with injuries once again was a factor as starting senior guard Isadora Sousa, who returned at the start of Pac-12 play after missing ASU's last four non-conference games due to injury, went down less than three minutes into Friday's game.
Oregon represented the third ranked opponent ASU played in four games. The Sun Devils opened Pac-12 play with three straight road games in five days, including at current No. 15 Arizona (Dec. 29) and at No. 2 Stanford (Dec. 31).
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the 1st half at Arizona, ASU put together a 9-2 run that culminated with a 3-pointer by Hunt that got ASU back within single digits at the start of the 3rd quarter. UA scored the next seven points starting a scoring run that eventually put the game out of reach. At Stanford, the difficulty of ASU's task of trying to upset the No. 2 team on its homecourt became exponentially more difficult after the Cardinal jumped out to a 16-3 lead. At Cal, after Hunt tied the game at 55-55 in the first minute of the fourth quarter, ASU suddenly hit a cold spell on the offensive end. Over a period of seven-plus minutes ASU saw its ability to influence the outcome slowly slip away as the Bears methodically put together a game-deciding 12-0 scoring run.
ASU was led in the three games by Skinner, who averaged 19.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Skinner posted her first career double-double with 13 points/10 rebounds against Cal. Hunt averaged 15.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Skinner (10) and Hunt (7) combined for 17 triples in the three games. Jaddan Simmons had a team-high 14 points in the loss at Cal.
ASU was boosted by the return of Sousa, who played at Arizona for the first time since Nov. 30. After accounting for five points, five rebounds in her return, Sousa scored a season-high seven points in ASU's next two games at Stanford Cal. Sousa's return to the floor was tempered by an illness that limited the availability of freshman forward Journey Thompson. Recently elevated to the starting lineup, Thompson played only 14 minutes in the three games: started at Arizona (10 minutes), missed ASU's game at Stanford and returned in a reserve role at Cal (four minutes).
SERIES NOTES VERSUS OREGON STATE
• ASU has won 27 of the last 38 meetings, but the Beavers have gotten the better of it in recent years with wins in nine of the last 14 games.
• The Beavers won the most recent meeting, 54-49, in the first round of the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament.
• ASU's 67-57 win on Feb. 4, 2022 in Tempe was the first meeting between the two squads since February, 2020, as both contests in 2021 were canceled due to Covid-19 as was the first of two scheduled regular season games (scheduled to be played at OSU) in 2022.
• On the back end of the home-sand-home matchups in 2020, OSU's basket at the buzzer gave the Beavers a 64-62 win in Corvallis and snapped ASU's four-game winning streak in the series.
• The game that extended ASU's winning streak to four was the second of its consecutive wins over Top 5 teams as two days after defeating No. 2 Oregon, ASU knocked off No. 3 OSU 55-47 on Jan. 12, 2020. ASU's win prevented the Beavers from becoming the No. 1 team in the poll the following day.
• ASU's 57-51 win in the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals snapped OSU's streak of seven straight wins. In 2018-19, ASU swept Oregon State for the first time since 2011 and became the first Pac-12 team to accomplish the feat since 2013.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NAME TYI SKINNER YET... GET READY
Junior guard Tyi Skinner, who transferred to ASU from Delaware in the offseason, is quickly ascending to 'must-see' status for all basketball fans. In a sport in which one's height is usually the measurable most associated with its competitors, at five-foot-five, Skinner is more often than not making the biggest plays on the court.
Currently the owner of a Pac-12 high nine 20-point games this season, Skinner needs 30 points to reach 1000 for her career. Twenty-nine of Skinner's 42 makes from long range have come in ASU's last eight contests. She is shooting 47 pct (29-62) from beyond the arc and averaging 20.2 points during that stretch.
On Dec. 4 vs. Missouri, Skinner tied her career high in scoring for the second time in three games (29 points) and came one triple short of tying the single-game school record after knocking down six vs. the Tigers.
As of Jan. 7, Skinner, who has scored in double figures in every game, is 2nd in the Pac-12 and 18th in the nation in scoring (20.4 ppg). She is also among the Pac-12's leaders in free throws made (1st/71/21st in the nation) and attempted (2nd/85/31st in the nation), minutes per game (2nd/35.9/30th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (3rd/2.73/36th in the nation), free throw percentage (5th/83.5), steals per game (5th/2.0) and 3-point FG percentage (6th/38.7).
Skinner's 20-point efforts include consecutive 24-point efforts at New Mexico (Nov. 20) and vs. American (Nov. 25), a pair of career-high 29-point games at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) and vs. Missouri (Dec. 4) and a 26-point showing at Arizona (Dec. 29), the most points given up by the Wildcats this season. Against Missouri (Dec. 4), Skinner's six triples came one short of tying the single-game school record.
While it is her scoring she has come to be known for, Skinner makes an effort to be a contributor no matter where she is on the court and no matter whether the ball is in her hands or not.
• Has had 3 or more steals 6x times this season, including a season/career-high 4 at Montana State (Nov. 15). Skinner also opened Pac-12 play with consecutive 3-steal games at Arizona (Dec. 29) and at Stanford (Dec. 31).
• In consecutive games, Skinner dished out 6 assists at SFA (Dec. 11) and followed that with a career high-tying 7 assists vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17).
• Has pulled down 5 or more rebounds 3x. In addition to scoring 13 points at Cal (Jan. 3), Skinner pulled down a team- and career-high 10 rebounds for the first double-double of her career.
SIMMONS' SOLID, STEADY PLAY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ASU'S SUCCESS
With 50 starts in all 50 games she played in over her first two seasons, Jaddan Simmons was ASU's most experienced returning player this season. As great as Simmons' play was over her first two seasons in Tempe, she has taken it to even greater heights this season.
A starter in all 14 games she has played this season (missed ASU's game vs. Missouri on Dec. 14 due to illness), Simmons opened the 2022-23 campaign with nine straight double-digit scoring efforts, including a career high-tying 22 points in ASU's season opener vs. Northern Arizona (Nov. 7). Like fellow backcourt teammate Tyi Skinner, Simmons is a difference maker no matter where she is on the court as she enters Sunday's game as the team leader in assists per game (3.1), minutes per game (36:35/1st in Pac-12/16th in the nation) and blocks per game (0.9/t13th in the Pac-12), is 2nd in scoring (12.3 ppg), steals per game (1.6), free throws made (59/2nd in the Pac-12) and attempted (77/3rd in the Pac-12) and free throw percentage (76.6/9th in the Pac-12) and 4th in rebounds per game (3.7).
THIS TREASURE IS NOT HIDDEN
Junior guard Treasure Hunt joined ASU in the offseason after playing her first two seasons at Kentucky where she started 30 of 45 games.
Hunt had a strong start to the season, averaging a double-double over the season's first four games (13.5 ppg/10.3 rpg). The opening sequence included a then-career high 19 points in ASU's win at Montana State (Nov. 15). She averaged 4.5 ppg in her next four games, two of which came in the immediate aftermath of an injury she incurred in ASU's loss to Notre Dame (Nov. 26). The injury caused Hunt to miss ASU's ensuing game at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30).
ASU's slower pace of playing games – the Sun Devils played nine games over the first 27 days of the season (Nov. 7 - Dec. 4) followed that with a stretch in which they played two games in 23 days (Dec. 5 - Dec. 28) – benefitted Hunt's ability to heal from her injury. In recent games she has once again been a consistently solid contributor as she has averaged 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in ASU's last six games. In ASU's non-conference finale vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17) Hunt had career-high 22-point outing. She accounted for her third double-double of the season (17 points, 12 rebounds) vs. Oregon (Jan. 6). Hunt is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (34.1) and 10th rebounds per game (7.4).
CONTRIBUTORS APLENTY RESPONSIBLE FOR ASU'S SUCCESS
• In ASU's games vs. Prairie View A&M and at Arizona, Meg Newman came off the bench and provided the Sun Devils with big-time efforts that included per-game averages of 11.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Newman had career highs in points (12) and rebounds (18) for her first career double-double in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Newman's 18 boards were the most for a Sun Devil since Ja'Tavia Tapley pulled down 18 on Dec. 6, 2019, against BYU. Newman, who leads the team in field goal percentage (50.0 percent), is currently 11th in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game (7.1) and offensive rebounds per game (2.7/7th in the Pac-12).
• TCU transfer Kayla Mokwuah is 3rd on the team in rebounds per game (4.9), 2nd in offensive rebounds per game (2.3 rpg/13th in the Pac-12) and 5th in scoring (5.7 ppg). Mokwuah's second career double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds) proved critical in ASU's OT win at New Mexico (Nov. 20). She also scored in double figures (10 points) in ASU's come-from-behind win over GCU (Nov. 30).
• After accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the fourth quarter of ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30), freshman forward Journey Thompson had her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2) before getting injured prior to ASU's following game vs. Missouri (Dec. 4). In her first start, Thompson accounted for 11 points and six rebounds in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Thompson only played in 14 minutes in ASU's first three Pac-12 contests, including a DNP at Stanford (Dec. 31), due to illness.
• Junior guard Sydney Erikstrup is 3rd on the team in 3-pointers per game (0.5). Erikstrup posted career highs in scoring (11 points) and 3-pointers (3) in ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30).
• Freshman guard Trayanna Crisp averaged double figures in scoring (11.5 ppg) and connected on 60 percent of her field goals (9-15) at the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26). Crisp, who made her first career start in place of Jaddan Simmons (illness) vs. Missouri on Dec. 4, is currently 3rd on the team in assists per game (1.8). She has had a season-high 5 assists three times.
• In the 11 games she has played in (missed four due to injury), senior guard Isadora Sousa has connected on 52 percent of her FGs (14-27). Sousa had a career-high 12 rebounds vs. American (Nov. 25) and has scored a career high-tying seven points in each of ASU's last two games (at Stanford/Dec. 31 and at Cal/Jan. 2). She went down due to injury less than three minutes into ASU/s game vs. Oregon (Jan. 6).