THE GAME: Sun Devil WBB (8-8, 0-4 Pac-12) at Oregon State (13-2, 2-2 Pac-12)
WHEN: Sunday at 1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST
WHERE: Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore.
WATCH: Pac-12 Arizona
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060 (Pregame coverage starts at 12:30 p.m. MST)
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (8-8, 0-4 Pac-12) will seek a split on its first Pac-12 road trip of the 2023-24 season when it visits Oregon State (13-2, 2-2 Pac-12) on Sunday (1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST).
Despite having already played 16 games this season, Sunday's game will be just the third true road game for ASU. Up to this point, it has played 10 games in Desert Financial Arena (home arena), two away games: at Grambling (Nov. 16) and at Oregon (Jan. 12), and four neutral site games: three at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23-25) and one at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
ASU started the weekend with a 65-53 setback at Oregon on Friday. The Sun Devils were on the wrong end of a 16-6 third quarter that helped the Ducks break open a four-point game at the half. Journey Thompson (12 points), Trayanna Crisp (11 points) and Jalyn Brown (11 points) all reached double-figure scoring totals for the Sun Devils.
An outcome similar to last year's game in Corvallis – ASU won 75-73 – would provide ASU with the kind of momentum swing it could ride to bigger and better things. Despite not having a number currently attached to their name, the Beavers as ever present a difficult assignment, particularly when they are on their home court. The only losses on OSU's ledger occurred last week in Los Angles where they fell to current No. 9 USC 56-54 and No. 2 UCLA 65-54.
In last week's home losses to then-No. 15 Utah (58-41) and No. 5 Colorado, the Sun Devils displayed both the flashes of brilliance necessary for success in in the league and – with the team's health situation playing an increasingly bigger role in recent losses – the lulls on either side of the floor that can often make the difference between winning and losing.
ASU came through with an inspired defensive effort against Utah, holding the Utes (came into game No. 5 in the nation in scoring and No 1 in FG pct.) more than 33 points below their scoring average and nearly 16 points below their shooting percentage. ASU was not able to match Utah offensively as it scored in single digits in three of the four quarters. Brown notched her fourth 20-point game of the season with a career-high 21 points while Adison Novosel came off the bench and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers. Novosel had similar success on Friday at Oregon as she accounted for ASU's six third quarter points with a pair of 3-pointers.
Against Colorado, Brown raised her game to a whole different level, scoring 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century and the highest single-game total by a player this season in a game contested between two Pac-12 teams. Although the Sun Devils outscored the Buffaloes 43-31 in the second half, they fell into too big of a hole earlier in the game as CU led by as many as 28 late in the first half.
WATCH/LISTEN
Sunday's game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona (Rich Burk, Angela Taylor). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 (pregame starts at 12:30 p.m. in the Valley). Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 & 2019 Broadcaster of the Year and a finalist for the 2023 award, Jeff Munn is in his 20th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• With a win at OSU, ASU would eclipse its win total from 2022-23 (8-20) and equal its conference wins from last season.
• This weekend's road trip started ASU's most challenging stretch of the season from a road/logistics standpoint. Sunday's game vs. OSU is the second of seven games ASU will play on the road in the span of nine games. ASU will return to the Pacific Northwest next week to take on Washington State (Fri., Jan. 19) and Washington (Sun., Jan. 21) before returning home to face Stanford (Fri., Jan. 26) and Cal (Sun., Jan. 28). ASU will then close out the challenging series with road contests at Arizona (Feb. 4) and at the Los Angeles schools (at USC on Fri., Feb. 9 and at UCLA on Sun., Feb. 11).
• ASU has had 6 players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Simmons (5x), Kadidia Toure (4x), Crisp (4x), Brown (4x), Treasure Hunt (1x) and Journey Thompson. Brown's career-high 35 points vs. No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7, is the highest single-game total by a Sun Devil this season.
• In the rebounding department, 8 Sun Devils have led/tied for the team lead: Journey Thompson (5x), Maggie Besselink (4x), Simmons (4x), Toure (3x), Mallory Miller (1x), Sandra Magolico (2x), Brown (2x), Hunt (1x) and Isadora Souza (1x). Toure's 14-rebound game vs. San Francisco (Nov. 13) represents the best rebounding game by a Sun Devil this season.
• On Dec. 20, Simmons (now with 1024 points) became the 25th Sun Devil to score more than 1000 points. In ASU's win over Fresno State (Dec. 20), Simmons had a career-high 8 assists with zero turnovers.
• In her last 10 games, Brown (currently ASU's leading scorer/15.6 ppg) has scored in double figures in all but one games. She has scored 20 or more points 5x in that sequence: 20-20-20-21-35.
• Isadora Sousa has shot 73 percent (8-11 FGs) and averaged 9.0 points in ASU's last two games.
• Crisp scored a then-career high 17 points 2x in ASU's first seven games. She surpassed that with 18 points vs. GCU (Dec. 8). Crisp has scored in double figures in all but 3 games averaged 14.0 ppg in 4 games prior to Utah game in which she left early due to injury. During that stretch: led team in assists (2.75 apg) and was tied with J. Simmons for lead in steals (2.5 spg).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 22x, including 7x in single digits.
• ASU scored a double-digit point total in each of the first 20 quarters of the season. Overall, it has scored in double figures in 51 of 64 quarters.
INJURY UPDATE
On Jan. 12, head coach Natasha Adair announced the following health update on the team: G Morasha Wiggins is out for the season (knee), F Maggie Besselink (missed last five games) is expected to return this season after healing from injury and G Treasure Hunt, who has missed ASU's last four games, is expected to miss more time with no timetable set for her return.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS OREGON STATE
• ASU has won 28 of the last 41 meetings, but the Beavers have gotten the better of it in recent years with wins in 10 of the last 16 games.
The two teams split the season series last season with each team winning on the other's home court: OSU 69-59 in Tempe and ASU 75-73 in Corvallis. In the latter contest, ASU overcame its second-largest deficit to win (17 points) since it pulled off the biggest comeback in school history, scoring the last 20 points of the game to erase an 18-point deficit vs. Utah on Feb. 17, 2019.
• Tyi Skinner, recorded her 14th 20-point game by scoring 19 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to help give ASU head coach Natasha Adair the 175th win of her career.
• 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.
• 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.
RANKINGS OF NOTE (AS OF JAN. 13, 2024)
• As a team, ASU leads the Pac-12 in FT attempts per game (19.06), is 4th in FTs made per game (12.88), turnover margin (+2.69) and fewest turnovers per game (13.6/44th in the nation), 5th in turnovers forced per game (16.31) and 6th in offensive rebounds per game (12.0).
• Jaddan Simmons is among the leaders in both the Pac-12 and the nation in free throws made (70/2nd in Pac-12/22nd in the nation), minutes per game (2nd in the Pac-12/35.66/26th in the nation) and free throws attempted (90/4th in Pac-12/25th in the nation). Simmons is also among the leaders in the Pac-12 in steals per game (7th/1.94), FT pct. (9th/77.8) and 16th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.43).
• Jalyn Brown is 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring (15.64 ppg), 9th in minutes per game (32.33), 14th in FT pct. (77.3) and 12th in FG pct. (44.6). In Pac-12 games, Brown is 2nd on the league in scoring (21.5 ppg), 4th in FT pct. (89.5/17-19) and 7th in O-rebs (2.75 rpg).
• Journey Thompson is tied for 11th in O-rebs (2.75 rpg) and Trayanna Crisp is 15th in steals (1.56 spg).
ASU WITHOUT ALL-PAC-12 STANDOUT TYI SKINNER IN 2023-24
Although the Sun Devil women's basketball team's overall health is a 180-degree difference from last season, the squad was dealt a tremendous blow when Natasha Adair announced Oct. 4, 2023 that senior guard Tyi Skinner would miss the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Skinner, who last season earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors from the league's coaches and All-Pac-12 recognition from media who cover the league, quickly established herself as one of top scorers in the Pac-12 and one of the most exciting players in the nation to watch in her first season in Tempe.
In 2022-23, Skinner scored 20 or more points 15 times, including a career-high 29 points on two occasions. A starter in all 28 games, Skinner went on to average 19.3 points per game, the most by a Sun Devil since the 1988-89 season. She concluded her first campaign in the Maroon and Gold among the leaders in the Pac-12 in points per game (19.3/2nd/27th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (2.43 per game/2nd), minutes per game (36.59/3rd/29th in the nation), free throws made (79/3rd) and attempted (91/4th), steals per game (1.71/5th), 3-point FG percentage (34.7/6th) and free throw percentage (78.1/8th).
IN CASE YOU ARE JUST JOINING US
• ASU has had a pair of season-best three-game winning streaks in 2023-24. It started 3-0 after home wins over UTSA (70-55/Nov. 6), Montana State (75-62/Nov. 10) & San Francisco (77-69/Nov. 13). In the first half of its first three wins, ASU averaged 45.3 points & hit 49.5 pct of its shots. In the win vs. UTSA, ASU tied last season's highest point total in a half on its way to a 49-23 halftime lead. Against Montana State (Nov. 30), ASU scored 30 points in the first quarter, representing the third time it has scored 30 or more points in a quarter under head coach Natasha Adair.
• In its first loss at Grambling State (Nov. 16), ASU scored 32 points and shot 38 pct. in the first half while allowing the Tigers to score 45 points. Down by as many as 17, ASU tied the game at 67-67 before the Tigers hit game-winning 3-pointer in final seconds.
• ASU responded with a 72-40 win over Idaho State. The Bengals' final point total represented the fewest given up by ASU since a 49-40 win over VCU on November 27, 2020.
• After dropping an 84-42 decision to Texas in its first game at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23), ASU once again rebounded with a 3-game winning streak. Less than 24 hours after the setback to Texas, ASU had to face a South Florida squad (Nov. 24) that entered the game among the Top 50 teams in the nation in rebounding margin (+10.8). ASU rose to the challenge and outrebounded the Bulls 38-32 in its 66-49 win. In its 77-69 win over High Point (Nov. 25), ASU shot 50 percent for the game, the first time it shot 50 percent or higher since a win at San Diego on Dec. 18, 2021. Brown had her first 20-point game, while Hunt just missed a double-double with season highs in points (19) and rebounds (game-high 8 boards).
• ASU made it three straight wins after a 76-66 triumph over Pacific (Dec. 1). Simmons scored 17 of her career-high 26 points in the 2nd half, including 8 points in the final 94 seconds while Brown contributed a career high-tying 20 points for the second straight game.
• The Sun Devils nearly came back from 14 down in the 4th quarter (got within 4 points 2x) before falling to Grand Canyon, 66-59 on Dec. 8. Simmons (20 points), Crisp (18 points) and Brown (16 points) scored all but five of ASU's points. ASU was without Hunt (illness) in the loss.
• ASU dropped consecutive games for the first time this season after falling to Arizona 91-52 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams. The Wildcats got off to a fast start that eventually enabled them to take a 52-24 lead at the half.
• ASU got back on the winning track scoring a season high in an 80-76 win over Fresno State as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series played at Footprint Series in Phoenix. Toure scored 12 of her career high-tying 22 points in the second half while Brown continued her streak of scoring in double figures in games she has started (eight) with 20 points. Crisp scored 12 points while Simmons and Thompson (career-high four steals) scored 10 points each. ASU shot 49 percent for the game, its second-highest mark of the season. Simmons, who went over 1,000 career points in the fourth quarter of the win, set a career high with eight assists and hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to help clinch the win.
• The short-handed Sun Devils nearly came back from a double-digit deficit but in the end did not have enough to get over the hump in 65-55 loss to Santa Clara (Dec. 30). Crisp and (12 points), Simmons (11 points) and Toure (10 points) led the way for the Sun Devils (8-5), who were without key contributors Maggie Besselink and Treasure Hunt. The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before transforming their defense into a riddle Santa Clara had no answers for during the latter stages of the first half and for the entire third quarter. The net result was a game tied at 44-44 entering the fourth quarter. Santa Clara outscored ASU 21-11 in the 4th Q.
• ASU came through with one of its most inspired defensive efforts of the season in holding one of the most prolific offenses in the country more than 30 points below its scoring average. Unfortunately, ASU was not able to do enough on the offensive end in a 58-41 loss to No. 15 Utah on Friday night.
• Brown scored 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century and the highest single-game total by a player this season in a game contested between two Pac-12 teams, in ASU's 81-68 loss to No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7.
WHEN: Sunday at 1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST
WHERE: Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore.
WATCH: Pac-12 Arizona
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060 (Pregame coverage starts at 12:30 p.m. MST)
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (8-8, 0-4 Pac-12) will seek a split on its first Pac-12 road trip of the 2023-24 season when it visits Oregon State (13-2, 2-2 Pac-12) on Sunday (1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST).
Despite having already played 16 games this season, Sunday's game will be just the third true road game for ASU. Up to this point, it has played 10 games in Desert Financial Arena (home arena), two away games: at Grambling (Nov. 16) and at Oregon (Jan. 12), and four neutral site games: three at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23-25) and one at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
ASU started the weekend with a 65-53 setback at Oregon on Friday. The Sun Devils were on the wrong end of a 16-6 third quarter that helped the Ducks break open a four-point game at the half. Journey Thompson (12 points), Trayanna Crisp (11 points) and Jalyn Brown (11 points) all reached double-figure scoring totals for the Sun Devils.
An outcome similar to last year's game in Corvallis – ASU won 75-73 – would provide ASU with the kind of momentum swing it could ride to bigger and better things. Despite not having a number currently attached to their name, the Beavers as ever present a difficult assignment, particularly when they are on their home court. The only losses on OSU's ledger occurred last week in Los Angles where they fell to current No. 9 USC 56-54 and No. 2 UCLA 65-54.
In last week's home losses to then-No. 15 Utah (58-41) and No. 5 Colorado, the Sun Devils displayed both the flashes of brilliance necessary for success in in the league and – with the team's health situation playing an increasingly bigger role in recent losses – the lulls on either side of the floor that can often make the difference between winning and losing.
ASU came through with an inspired defensive effort against Utah, holding the Utes (came into game No. 5 in the nation in scoring and No 1 in FG pct.) more than 33 points below their scoring average and nearly 16 points below their shooting percentage. ASU was not able to match Utah offensively as it scored in single digits in three of the four quarters. Brown notched her fourth 20-point game of the season with a career-high 21 points while Adison Novosel came off the bench and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers. Novosel had similar success on Friday at Oregon as she accounted for ASU's six third quarter points with a pair of 3-pointers.
Against Colorado, Brown raised her game to a whole different level, scoring 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century and the highest single-game total by a player this season in a game contested between two Pac-12 teams. Although the Sun Devils outscored the Buffaloes 43-31 in the second half, they fell into too big of a hole earlier in the game as CU led by as many as 28 late in the first half.
WATCH/LISTEN
Sunday's game can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona (Rich Burk, Angela Taylor). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 (pregame starts at 12:30 p.m. in the Valley). Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 & 2019 Broadcaster of the Year and a finalist for the 2023 award, Jeff Munn is in his 20th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• With a win at OSU, ASU would eclipse its win total from 2022-23 (8-20) and equal its conference wins from last season.
• This weekend's road trip started ASU's most challenging stretch of the season from a road/logistics standpoint. Sunday's game vs. OSU is the second of seven games ASU will play on the road in the span of nine games. ASU will return to the Pacific Northwest next week to take on Washington State (Fri., Jan. 19) and Washington (Sun., Jan. 21) before returning home to face Stanford (Fri., Jan. 26) and Cal (Sun., Jan. 28). ASU will then close out the challenging series with road contests at Arizona (Feb. 4) and at the Los Angeles schools (at USC on Fri., Feb. 9 and at UCLA on Sun., Feb. 11).
• ASU has had 6 players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Simmons (5x), Kadidia Toure (4x), Crisp (4x), Brown (4x), Treasure Hunt (1x) and Journey Thompson. Brown's career-high 35 points vs. No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7, is the highest single-game total by a Sun Devil this season.
• In the rebounding department, 8 Sun Devils have led/tied for the team lead: Journey Thompson (5x), Maggie Besselink (4x), Simmons (4x), Toure (3x), Mallory Miller (1x), Sandra Magolico (2x), Brown (2x), Hunt (1x) and Isadora Souza (1x). Toure's 14-rebound game vs. San Francisco (Nov. 13) represents the best rebounding game by a Sun Devil this season.
• On Dec. 20, Simmons (now with 1024 points) became the 25th Sun Devil to score more than 1000 points. In ASU's win over Fresno State (Dec. 20), Simmons had a career-high 8 assists with zero turnovers.
• In her last 10 games, Brown (currently ASU's leading scorer/15.6 ppg) has scored in double figures in all but one games. She has scored 20 or more points 5x in that sequence: 20-20-20-21-35.
• Isadora Sousa has shot 73 percent (8-11 FGs) and averaged 9.0 points in ASU's last two games.
• Crisp scored a then-career high 17 points 2x in ASU's first seven games. She surpassed that with 18 points vs. GCU (Dec. 8). Crisp has scored in double figures in all but 3 games averaged 14.0 ppg in 4 games prior to Utah game in which she left early due to injury. During that stretch: led team in assists (2.75 apg) and was tied with J. Simmons for lead in steals (2.5 spg).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 22x, including 7x in single digits.
• ASU scored a double-digit point total in each of the first 20 quarters of the season. Overall, it has scored in double figures in 51 of 64 quarters.
INJURY UPDATE
On Jan. 12, head coach Natasha Adair announced the following health update on the team: G Morasha Wiggins is out for the season (knee), F Maggie Besselink (missed last five games) is expected to return this season after healing from injury and G Treasure Hunt, who has missed ASU's last four games, is expected to miss more time with no timetable set for her return.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS OREGON STATE
• ASU has won 28 of the last 41 meetings, but the Beavers have gotten the better of it in recent years with wins in 10 of the last 16 games.
The two teams split the season series last season with each team winning on the other's home court: OSU 69-59 in Tempe and ASU 75-73 in Corvallis. In the latter contest, ASU overcame its second-largest deficit to win (17 points) since it pulled off the biggest comeback in school history, scoring the last 20 points of the game to erase an 18-point deficit vs. Utah on Feb. 17, 2019.
• Tyi Skinner, recorded her 14th 20-point game by scoring 19 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to help give ASU head coach Natasha Adair the 175th win of her career.
• 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.
• 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.
RANKINGS OF NOTE (AS OF JAN. 13, 2024)
• As a team, ASU leads the Pac-12 in FT attempts per game (19.06), is 4th in FTs made per game (12.88), turnover margin (+2.69) and fewest turnovers per game (13.6/44th in the nation), 5th in turnovers forced per game (16.31) and 6th in offensive rebounds per game (12.0).
• Jaddan Simmons is among the leaders in both the Pac-12 and the nation in free throws made (70/2nd in Pac-12/22nd in the nation), minutes per game (2nd in the Pac-12/35.66/26th in the nation) and free throws attempted (90/4th in Pac-12/25th in the nation). Simmons is also among the leaders in the Pac-12 in steals per game (7th/1.94), FT pct. (9th/77.8) and 16th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.43).
• Jalyn Brown is 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring (15.64 ppg), 9th in minutes per game (32.33), 14th in FT pct. (77.3) and 12th in FG pct. (44.6). In Pac-12 games, Brown is 2nd on the league in scoring (21.5 ppg), 4th in FT pct. (89.5/17-19) and 7th in O-rebs (2.75 rpg).
• Journey Thompson is tied for 11th in O-rebs (2.75 rpg) and Trayanna Crisp is 15th in steals (1.56 spg).
ASU WITHOUT ALL-PAC-12 STANDOUT TYI SKINNER IN 2023-24
Although the Sun Devil women's basketball team's overall health is a 180-degree difference from last season, the squad was dealt a tremendous blow when Natasha Adair announced Oct. 4, 2023 that senior guard Tyi Skinner would miss the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Skinner, who last season earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors from the league's coaches and All-Pac-12 recognition from media who cover the league, quickly established herself as one of top scorers in the Pac-12 and one of the most exciting players in the nation to watch in her first season in Tempe.
In 2022-23, Skinner scored 20 or more points 15 times, including a career-high 29 points on two occasions. A starter in all 28 games, Skinner went on to average 19.3 points per game, the most by a Sun Devil since the 1988-89 season. She concluded her first campaign in the Maroon and Gold among the leaders in the Pac-12 in points per game (19.3/2nd/27th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (2.43 per game/2nd), minutes per game (36.59/3rd/29th in the nation), free throws made (79/3rd) and attempted (91/4th), steals per game (1.71/5th), 3-point FG percentage (34.7/6th) and free throw percentage (78.1/8th).
IN CASE YOU ARE JUST JOINING US
• ASU has had a pair of season-best three-game winning streaks in 2023-24. It started 3-0 after home wins over UTSA (70-55/Nov. 6), Montana State (75-62/Nov. 10) & San Francisco (77-69/Nov. 13). In the first half of its first three wins, ASU averaged 45.3 points & hit 49.5 pct of its shots. In the win vs. UTSA, ASU tied last season's highest point total in a half on its way to a 49-23 halftime lead. Against Montana State (Nov. 30), ASU scored 30 points in the first quarter, representing the third time it has scored 30 or more points in a quarter under head coach Natasha Adair.
• In its first loss at Grambling State (Nov. 16), ASU scored 32 points and shot 38 pct. in the first half while allowing the Tigers to score 45 points. Down by as many as 17, ASU tied the game at 67-67 before the Tigers hit game-winning 3-pointer in final seconds.
• ASU responded with a 72-40 win over Idaho State. The Bengals' final point total represented the fewest given up by ASU since a 49-40 win over VCU on November 27, 2020.
• After dropping an 84-42 decision to Texas in its first game at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23), ASU once again rebounded with a 3-game winning streak. Less than 24 hours after the setback to Texas, ASU had to face a South Florida squad (Nov. 24) that entered the game among the Top 50 teams in the nation in rebounding margin (+10.8). ASU rose to the challenge and outrebounded the Bulls 38-32 in its 66-49 win. In its 77-69 win over High Point (Nov. 25), ASU shot 50 percent for the game, the first time it shot 50 percent or higher since a win at San Diego on Dec. 18, 2021. Brown had her first 20-point game, while Hunt just missed a double-double with season highs in points (19) and rebounds (game-high 8 boards).
• ASU made it three straight wins after a 76-66 triumph over Pacific (Dec. 1). Simmons scored 17 of her career-high 26 points in the 2nd half, including 8 points in the final 94 seconds while Brown contributed a career high-tying 20 points for the second straight game.
• The Sun Devils nearly came back from 14 down in the 4th quarter (got within 4 points 2x) before falling to Grand Canyon, 66-59 on Dec. 8. Simmons (20 points), Crisp (18 points) and Brown (16 points) scored all but five of ASU's points. ASU was without Hunt (illness) in the loss.
• ASU dropped consecutive games for the first time this season after falling to Arizona 91-52 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams. The Wildcats got off to a fast start that eventually enabled them to take a 52-24 lead at the half.
• ASU got back on the winning track scoring a season high in an 80-76 win over Fresno State as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series played at Footprint Series in Phoenix. Toure scored 12 of her career high-tying 22 points in the second half while Brown continued her streak of scoring in double figures in games she has started (eight) with 20 points. Crisp scored 12 points while Simmons and Thompson (career-high four steals) scored 10 points each. ASU shot 49 percent for the game, its second-highest mark of the season. Simmons, who went over 1,000 career points in the fourth quarter of the win, set a career high with eight assists and hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to help clinch the win.
• The short-handed Sun Devils nearly came back from a double-digit deficit but in the end did not have enough to get over the hump in 65-55 loss to Santa Clara (Dec. 30). Crisp and (12 points), Simmons (11 points) and Toure (10 points) led the way for the Sun Devils (8-5), who were without key contributors Maggie Besselink and Treasure Hunt. The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before transforming their defense into a riddle Santa Clara had no answers for during the latter stages of the first half and for the entire third quarter. The net result was a game tied at 44-44 entering the fourth quarter. Santa Clara outscored ASU 21-11 in the 4th Q.
• ASU came through with one of its most inspired defensive efforts of the season in holding one of the most prolific offenses in the country more than 30 points below its scoring average. Unfortunately, ASU was not able to do enough on the offensive end in a 58-41 loss to No. 15 Utah on Friday night.
• Brown scored 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century and the highest single-game total by a player this season in a game contested between two Pac-12 teams, in ASU's 81-68 loss to No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7.