Wednesday, March 12, 1997
ASU Women's Basketball Season Wrap-Up
SEASON REVIEW: The Arizona State University women's basketball team wrapped up its 1996-97 campaign with an overall record of 9-19 under first-year head coach Charli Turner Thorne. The nine wins marked the most victories for a Sun Devil squad since the 1992-93 campaign. The Sun Devils posted eight wins the past two seasons after a 4-22 campaign in 1993-94. ASU finished 3-15 in the Pac-10, good for a second-straight ninth-place finish. ASU beat Cal, Oregon State and UCLA at home, but failed to notch a conference win on the road. The Pac-10 sent five teams to the NCAA Tournament, including third-ranked Stanford, the top seed in the West Region. In all, the Sun Devils faced six squads that were invited to the Big Dance.
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| Molly Tuter |
TUTER HITS 3RD ON CAREER SCORING LIST: Senior forward Molly Tuter, the Sun Devils' leading scorer for the third straight season, ascended to third place on ASU's career scoring list in the Sun Devils' 81-62 season-ending loss to Stanford. Tuter finished her Sun Devil career with 1,374 career points. The two-time honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection is also second in treys made (116), fifth in blocks (59) and second in steals (221) on ASU's all-time list. Tuter averaged 15.1 points per game, good for ninth in the conference. She was also fourth in the Pac-10 in free throw percentage.
OTHER SENIORS: The 1996-97 season also marked the end of six other Sun Devil careers. Center Melissa Boyle is the Sun Devils' other four-year letterwinner. Boyle started 16 games this season and averaged 6.2 ppg. She has 59 career blocks, tied with Tuter for fifth-best all-time at ASU. Guard La Toya Johnson started all but one of ASU's games this season, averaging 5.7 ppg and four rebounds a contest. Forward Marci Stilson averaging 6.9 ppg and was named to the all-tournament team at the Sun Devil Classic in December, along with Tuter. Forward Charity Amama played in 24 games this season and is averaging 3.4 ppg. Guard Julie Gledhill has 189 assists in just two seasons, placing her 10th on ASU's all-time list. And guard Alyssa Johnson, who played four years for the Sun Devil softball team, logged valuable backcourt minutes as a fifth-year senior.
LOOKING AHEAD: ASU returns a solid backcourt in junior Rameeka Lowe and freshman Kalene Carl. Lowe assumed the point guard duties for the final 14 games of the season, averaging 7.5 ppg with 47 steals. Carl, an honorable mention Pac-10 All- Freshman selection, was second in the conference in assists, averaging 5.0 a game. Junior guard Stephanie Freeman, who was third on the team in scoring (7.8 ppg), also returns. Freeman, with 13 points and 14 rebounds against UPR-Mayaguez, recorded ASU's lone double-double on the season. In the frontcourt, the Sun Devils return freshmen Kristine Sand and Rachel Holt. Sandaveraged 5.5 ppg off the bench and shot 75 percent from the free throw line. Holt avergaed 3.3 ppg, but came on strong late in the season, including a career-high 14-point effort in ASU's win over California last week. Reserve guard Spring Steed, a junior, also returns.
ASU SIGNS 4 RECRUITS: ASU has signed four recruits to study and play basketball over the next four years: Ebony Edwards (Chandler, AZ), Leaf Newman (Perris, CA), Jennifer Bennett (Spokane, WA) and Kellie McDanal (Conifer, CO). Edwards is the two-time reigning Arizona High School Player of the Year. She led Chandler High School to the state 5A championship for the second consecutive season.
ASU IN TOURNAMENT PLAY: ASU took third at the San Juan Shootout, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ASU, despite falling behind 8-0 early, beat Syracuse 72-67 to claim third. Gledhill led ASU with 15 points. ASU took second to Bradley in the Sun Devil Classic. Tuter and Stilson were selected to the all-tournament team.
CHARLI TURNER THORNE: Turner Thorne (Stanford '88)arrived ASU after a three-year stint as head coach at Northern Arizona University. She was one of 32 new Division I coaches this season. Turner Thorne's career record now stands at 49-59 over four seasons. She guided the Lumberjacks to consecutive winning seasons in 1994-95 and 1995-96, the first coach in school history to accomplish that feat. She was 40-40 overall in her three years in Flagstaff. She previously worked as an assistant at Santa Clara and Washington. Turner Thorne signed a four-year contract with ASU. Turner Thorne's assistants are Mark Lewis, Yvette Cole and Laura Hughes.