Jan. 6, 1998
ASU Hosts Nationally Ranked Washington
#7 Washington Huskies (10-0, 1-0 Pac-10) vs. ASU Sun Devils (4-7, 0-2) Thursday, Jan. 8 * 7 p.m. MST University Activity Center (14,198) * Tempe, Ariz. COX Sports * KMVP 860 AM
Arizona State is still searching for its first Pac-10 win of the young season after dropping two league matchups last week at USC and UCLA. That quest will prove challenging, as two top-10 teams visit the University Activity Center in the Sun Devils' next three contests, beginning with seventh-ranked Washington Thursday night. ASU must overcome its turnover tendencies of late, after committing more than 30 turnovers in both games in Los Angeles.
MEDIA INFO: The ASU-Washington matchup will be broadcast by COX Sports, with George Allen (play-by-play) and Doug Gerlach (color) calling the action. Both of ASU's games this weekend will be carried live by KMVP 860 AM, with Kevin Ray (play-by-play) and JiJi Sweet (color) on the call.
PROBABLE STARTERS
ASU Sun Devils Pos. Cl. Ht. PPG RPG NOTES
#55 Stephanie Freeman F Sr. 5-10 15.2 4.8 7th in ASU career steals
#20 Kisha White F Jr. 6-0 7.1 3.5 walkon; has started 5 games
#54 Rachel Holt C So. 6-3 9.5 4.5 14 of ASU's 33 blocks
#21 Rameeka Lowe G Sr. 5-7 7.1 3.1 83.3 FT%
#3 Rechelle Lang G Jr. 5-9 5.2 4.5* 3rd in Pac-10 assists
* - assists per game
Washington Huskies Pos. Cl. Ht. PPG RPG NOTES
#14 Megan Franza G Fr. 5-10 8.8 3.0 19 3pt. field goals
#23 Amber Hall F Jr. 6-1 17.6 11.8 leads Pac-10 in rebounding
#22 Gena Pelz C Sr. 6-2 6.5 9.2 27.8 min.
#24 Molly Hills G Jr. 5-9 5.8 3.2 40.7 3FG%
#11 Jamie Redd C Jr. 5-10 22.1 3.3* 2nd in Pac-10 scoring
* - assists per game
ASU-UW SERIES: Washington owns a 16-7 advantage in the series and has won the last two contests. ASU swept the Huskies in 1995-96. The last meeting between the two schools resulted in a 68-59 UW victory (Feb. 7, 1997) in Seattle. Four Huskies reached double figures in scoring, led by Jamie Redd's 21 points and 8 rebounds. LaToya Johnson paced ASU with 12 points, while Rameeka Lowe chipped in 8 points and 6 assists.
ASU IN PAC-10 HOME OPENERS: The Sun Devils are 3-8 in Pac-10 home openers, winning last year's by a 66-65 score over UCLA. ASU last opened its conference home slate with the Huskies back in 1988-89 (ASU Coach Charli Turner Thorne's first year as a graduate assistant at UW), ending in a 77-67 Washington victory.
INJURY REPORT: FR center Jennifer Bennett is week-to-week after doctors found a stress fracture in her left leg on Dec. 16. Bennett will miss the Washington and Washington State games. FR G Ebony Edwards is out for the season after tearing her (left) ACL and lateral meniscus against Long Island on Dec. 20. Edwards underwent reconstructive surgery on Dec. 26. She will not be eligible to utilize 1997-98 as a redshirt year, as she had played in six minutes of her seventh game when the injury occurred.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Off to its best start (10-0) since 1989-90, Washington leads the Pac-10 in rebounding (46.7 rpg), three-point field goals per game (6.40), scoring defense (63.2ppg) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.188). Their No. 7-ranking this week is their highest since 1989-90. Junior point guard Jamie Redd leads the squad with a Pac-10 second-best 22.1 points a game, and junior forward Amber Hall is grabbing a league-leading 11.8 boards a game.
WASHINGTON CONNECTIONS: Head Coach Charli Turner Thorne passed through Seattle at the beginning of her coaching career. She served as a graduate assistant under Chris Gobrecht during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. ASU assistant Erika Hardwick is a 1993 Husky alum, and Sun Devils Rameeka Lowe (Seattle/Garfield HS) and Jennifer Bennett (Spokane/Mead HS) hail from Washington. Lowe was a first team all-state selection in 1993.
QUICK NOTES* The Sun Devils defeated UCLA 66-65 in their Pac-10 home opener last year.
* ASU Coach Charli Turner Thorne began her collegiate coaching career in Seattle, serving as a graduate assistant with the Huskies in 1988-89 and 1989-90.
* Stephanie Freeman is the sole current Sun Devil who has played at ASU for more than two years.
* ASU's roster features just 6 1/2 years of Division I experience, with three of those years belonging to Freeman.
LAST TIME OUT: Utilizing a 61-point second half, UCLA defeated ASU 95-73 Sunday in Pauley Pavilion. Bruin guard Melanie Perason keyed the second period attack by scoring 14 of her 18 points in the final 20 minutes.
ASU trailed just 50-44 at the 13:30 mark of the second half, after UCLA led 34-32 at the intermission. But the Bruins outscored the Sun Devils 16-5 over the next four minutes to take a 66-49 advantage with 9:25 left in the game. Pearson scored nine points in the Bruin run -- including a pair of three-point shots.
Senior forward Stephanie Freeman led the Sun Devils with 17 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Michelle Tom came in off the bench to contribute 15 points (including a pair of treys). Freshman guard Leaf Newman added 11 points and five boards in just 14 minutes of action.
Maylana Martin paced UCLA with a game-high 22 points, and Janae Hubbard added 15 points and a game-best 11 rebounds.
The Sun Devils committed 32 turnovers, their second straight game with 30-plus. UCLA shot 52.3 percent (34-of-65) to ASU's 43.6 (24-of-55).
LINEUP CARD ADDITION: Junior point guard Michelle Tom's impact on the Sun Devil offense ( since she became eligible on Dec. 20) has been immeasurable. The 5-7 Winslow, Ariz., native is averaging a team third-best 8.6 points through five games. Whether she's backing up or playing alongside starter Rechelle Lang, Tom's presence is providing extra direction and allowing shooting guard Rameeka Lowe to stay out on the wing. A transfer from Central Florida at mid-season a year ago, Tom is a cousin of former ASU standout Ryneldi Becenti, a two-time honorable mention All-American who directed the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament in 1992.
FROM WALKON TO STARTER: Junior forward Kisha White, a walkon from Phoenix, Ariz. (South Mountain HS), earned herself a spot among ASU's starting five back on Dec. 20. An injury to freshman Jennifer Bennett opened the door for White, who has come on strong to post three double-figure scoring efforts in her five games as a starter (18 pts. 12/20 vs. Long Island; 16 pts. 12/29 vs. Oklahoma; 10 points 1/2 vs. USC). White was named to the ASU Wells Fargo Classic All-Tournament Team on Dec. 21.
TURNOVER TALES: In back-to-back games versus USC and UCLA last week, ASU committed more than 30 turnovers (34 vs. USC on 1/2, 32 vs. UCLA on 1/4). Conversely, the Sun Devils turned the ball over just 15 times on Dec. 21 vs. Auburn, the least number of turnovers committed by Sun Devils under Coach Charli Turner Thorne. ASU has posted less than 20 turnovers four other times in Turner Thorne's tenure, with 16 against New Mexico on Dec. 11, 1996.
HOLT EMERGES AS A FORCE: In ASU's last six games, sophomore Rachel Holt (Buckeye, Ariz.), the Sun Devils' 6-foot-3 starting center, has averaged 13.0 points (on 32-of-51 shooting -- 62.7%) and 6.4 rebounds. Holt's numbers of late are the opposite of those from her first five games, where she averaged just 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds.
DEVILS SURPASS CENTURY MARK: The Sun Devils recorded their third win in record-setting fashion, (with five players tallying career- or season-high point totals) in an opening-round 118-56 victory over Long Island in the Wells Fargo Classic. The 118-point effort marked the first time an ASU women's team has reached the century mark since the 1992-93 season. That squad posted a 119-72 win over Marquette (also in ASU's tournament). The offensive output also ties as the second-most points ever by Sun Devil women, and was just three points off of the UAC record (121 points by the ASU men during the 1988-89 season).
FREEMAN MAKES ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: In ASU's two games at the Southwestern Bell/Cotton Bowl Classic, SR F Stephanie Freeman went 11-of-25 (44.4%), shot 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from beyond the arc, was 10-of-12 (83.3%) from the free-throw line, and averaged 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.5 steals, landing herself on the inaugural event's all-tournament squad.
ASU SCHEDULE/RESULTS
DATE OPP. RESULT/TIME
N. 9 KILSYTH# 69-67
N. 14 MYJAVA# 48-62
N. 20 UCSB L, 83-92
N. 29 MARQUETTE L, 50-69
N. 30 DAYTON W, 68-55
SW Bell Cotton Bowl Classic
D. 5 vs. SMU (1) L, 59-74
D. 6 vs. New Mex. St.(1) W, 60-46
D. 10 at New Mexico L, 39-67
ASU WELLS FARGO CLASSIC
D. 20 LONG ISLAND (2) W, 118-56
D. 21 #23 AUBURN (2) L, 52-56
D. 29 OKLAHOMA W, 87-76
J. 2 *at USC L, 55-68
J. 4 *at UCLA L, 73-95
J. 8 *#7 WASHINGTON 7 p.m.
J. 10 *WASHINGTON ST. 7 p.m.
J. 17 *ARIZONA 2 p.m.
J. 22 *at Oregon State 8 p.m.
J. 24 *at Oregon 8 p.m.
J. 29 *STANFORD 7 p.m.
J. 31 *CALIFORNIA 7 p.m.
F. 5 *at Washington St. 8 p.m.
F. 7 *at Washington 8 p.m.
F. 14 *at Arizona 7 p.m.
F. 19 *OREGON 7 p.m.
F. 21 *OREGON STATE 7 p.m.
F. 26 *at Stanford 8:30 p.m.
F. 28 *at California 3 p.m.
M. 5 *UCLA 7 p.m.
M. 7 *USC 7 p.m.
All times are MST.
# -- Exhibition game
* -- Pacific-10 Conference game
(1) SMU Southwestern Bell/Cotton Bowl Classic, Dallas, Texas
(ASU, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, SMU)
(2) ASU Wells Fargo Classic, Tempe, Ariz.
(ASU, Auburn, Long Island, UNC Wilmington)
Home games in bold.
Home games are played in the UAC.
PAC-10 STATISTICSScoring Stephanie Freeman 10th 14.0 Rebounding Rachel Holt 18th 5.0 Steals Stephanie Freeman T2nd 2.73 Blocks Rachel Holt 2nd 1.27 FG Pct. Rachel Holt 5th .587 Assists Rechelle Lang 3rd 4.55 3-PT Pct. Stephanie Freeman 9th .360 FT Percentage Stephanie Freeman 10th .704 Team Statistics Scoring Offense: 7th. 67.6 Scoring Defense: 8th 68.5 Scoring Margin: 9th -0.9 Free Throw Pct: 5th .665 Field Goal Pct.: 7th .410 FG Pct. Defense: 10th .454 3-Pt. FG Pct: 6th .313 3-Pt. FG Pct. Def.: 10th .382 Rebounding: 7th 36.2 Rebounding Def.: 7th 37.6 Rebounding Margin: 8th -1.5 Blocked Shots: 3rd 3.00 Assists Per Game: 5th 15.36 Steals Per Game: 5th 11.09 Turnover Margin: 6th +1.18 Assist/TO Ratio: 10th 0.61 3-PT. FG Per Game: 5th 4.09ASU CAREER STEALS LEADERS
1. 291 Cassandra Lander 1980-83
2. 221 Molly Tuter 1994-97
3. 198 Karen O'Connor 1988-91
4. 189 Sandra Hamilton 1981-82
5t. 187 Kym Hampton 1981-84
187 Jovonne Smith 1990-93
7. 184 Stephanie Freeman 1995-pres.
8. 170 Nikki Thompson 1991-94
9. 156 Ryneldi Becenti 1992-93
PAC-10 STANDINGS
(through games played as of Jan. 4)
Conference Overall
Pl. School W L Pct. W L Pct.
1. Arizona 2 0 1.000 10 0 1.000
Stanford 2 0 1.000 5 4 .555
3. Washington 2 0 1.000 8 2 .800
4. UCLA 1 1 .500 6 5 545
USC 1 1 .500 6 5 .545
Oregon 1 1 .500 5 5 .500
California 1 1 .500 5 7 .417
8. Washington St. 0 1 .000 6 4 .600
9. Oregon State 0 2 .000 5 6 .455
Arizona State 0 2 .000 4 7 .363
SENIOR LEADERSHIP DEFINED:
|
| Stephanie Freeman. |
Nov. 20, 29 & 30, Dec. 5 Dec. 6 & 10
#14/F Kristine Sand #40/F J. Bennett
#55/F Stephanie Freeman #55/F S. Freeman
#54/C Rachel Holt #54/C Rachel Holt
#21/G Rameeka Lowe #21/GR. Lowe
#3/G Rechelle Lang #3/G Rechelle Lang
Dec. 20, 21, 29, Jan. 2 & 4
#20/F Kisha White
#55/F Stephanie Freeman
#54/C Rachel Holt
#21/G Rameeka Lowe
#3/G Rechelle Lang
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Four of ASU's 1997-98 opponents were ranked in the Jan. 5 Associated Press Top 25, and three more received at least one vote. Pac-10 rivals Washington (7th), Arizona (10th) and Stanford (14th) are rated in the top-15, and the Sun Devils met Auburn in the Wells Fargo Classic. In addition, UCLA, Marquette and New Mexico received votes.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: SO C Rachel Holt (Buckeye, Ariz.) notched her first career double-double in just 23 minutes of action Dec. 20 against Long Island, pouring in 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. SR G Rameeka Lowe (Seattle, Wash.) posted her first double-double vs. UCSB, but did so "the other way." Lowe finished with 10 points and a career-high 10 assists. Six of her points came from beyond the arc, as she went 2-for-2 from three-point range.
DID YOU KNOW?: This year's Sun Devil lineup features just 6 1/2 years of Division I experience. And just one of those players (Stephanie Freeman) averaged more than 14 minutes a game last year. Here's the breakdown:
SR Stephanie Freeman -- 3 yrs.
SO Rachel Holt -- 1 yr.
SO Kristine Sand -- 1 yr.
SR Spring Steed -- 1 yr.
SR Rameeka Lowe -- 1/2 yr.
= 6 1/2 yrs.
WHO ARE THOSE GUYS?: Nine newcomers don the maroon and gold for the first time this year, almost outnumbering the returning letterwinners (5) two to one. The nine new faces are the most on an ASU team since the Pac-10 began sponsoring women's basketball in 1986-87.
ON THE TUBE: The Sun Devils will appear on television at least 12 times (with the opportunity for more exposures) in 1997-98, a record for the program and second in the Pac-10:
Nov. 20 UC Santa Barbara, (83-92) FOX Sports Arizona
Nov. 30 Dayton, (68-55) FOX Sports Arizona
Dec. 21 #23 Auburn, (52-56) FOX Sports Arizona
Dec. 29 Oklahoma, (87-76) FOX Sports Arizona
Jan. 8 #7 Washington, 7 p.m. COX Sports
Jan. 17 Arizona, 2 p.m. FOX Sports Net
Jan. 22 at Oregon State, 7 p.m. FOX Sports Northwest
Jan. 24 at Oregon, 1 p.m. FOX Sports Net
Jan. 29 Stanford, 7 p.m. COX Sports
Jan. 31 California, 2 p.m. FOX Sports Arizona
Feb. 28 at California, 2 p.m. FOX Sports Bay Area
Mar. 7 USC, 7 p.m. FOX Sports Arizona
MAXIMUM EXPOSURE: A full radio contract, which includes coverage of each of the Sun Devils' 28 regular-season contests, is part of the ASU women's basketball package for the first time ever this season. Twenty-four games will be carried on KMVP (860 AM), and the remaining four will air on KTAR (620 AM). All but four of the games will be broadcast live.
HEAD COACH CHARLI TURNER THORNE: Turner Thorne (Stanford '88), who enters her second year as the Sun Devil mentor, arrived ASU after a three-year stint as head coach at Northern Arizona University. Turner Thorne's ASU record is 13-26 (.333/2 years) and her career record stands at 54-65 (.454/5 years). She guided ASU to its most wins (9) since 1992-93 last year, and led the Lumberjacks to consecutive winning seasons in 1994-95 and 1995-96, the first coach in NAU history to accomplish that feat. Turner Thorne was 40-40 overall in her three years in Flagstaff. She previously worked as an assistant at Santa Clara and Washington. Turner Thorne, who signed a four-year contract with ASU in 1996, is assisted by Mark Lewis (Southern Mississippi '82), Laura Hughes (Santa Clara '92) and Erika Hardwick (Washington '93).
ASU RECORD WHENOutrebound its opponent 3-0 Outscore opponent bench 3-3 Lead at halftime 4-0 Trail at halftime 0-6 Are tied at halftime 0-1 Shoot better from field than opp. 2-0 Shoot worse from field than opp. 1-7 Shoot 50% or better from field 1-0 Shoot less than 50% from field 3-7 Opp. shoots 50% or better from field 1-3 Opp. shoots less than 50% from field 3-4 Shoot more free throws than opp. 3-0 Commit less turnovers than opp. 3-2 Commit more turnovers than opp. 0-4 Commit same number of TOs as opp. 0-1 Play at Home 3-3 Play Away 0-4 Play on Neutral Court 1-0 Play in Conference Games 0-2 Play in Televised Games 2-2 Play in White Uniforms 4-3 Play in Maroon Uniforms 0-4#3 RECHELLE LANG
Career Highs Points: 11 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 3-Pointers: 2 (twice), last vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 Rebounds: 7 vs. NMSU, 12-6-97 Assists: 9 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 4 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: 2 vs. Dayton, 11-30-97#4 LEAF NEWMAN
Career Highs Points: 17 vs. Dayton, 11-30-97 3-Pointers: 2 (twice), last vs. NMSU, 12-6-97 Rebounds: 7 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Assists: 1 (four times), last vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 4 vs. Dayton, 11-30-97 Blocks: 2 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97#10 EBONY EDWARDS
Career Highs Points: 18 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 3-Pointers:2 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Rebounds: 6 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Assists: 2 (twice), last vs. Marquette, 11-29-97 Steals: 3 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: none#14 KRISTINE SAND
Season Highs Points: 12 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: 1 (three times), last vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Rebounds: 6 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Assists: 3 vs. UCSB, 11-20- 97 Steals: 3 vs. Marquette, 11-29-97 Blocks: 1 vs. USC, 1-2-98 Career Highs Points: 17 at Washington State, 3-1-97 3-Pointers: 2 (four times), last vs. UCLA, 2-14-97 Rebounds: 6 (twice), last vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Assists: 3 vs. UCSB, 11-20- 97 Steals: 3 vs. Marquette, 11-29-97 Blocks: 2 vs. Oregon State, 2-20-97#20 KISHA WHITE
Career Highs Points: 18 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 5 (three times), last vs. USC, 1-2-98 Assists: 3 vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Steals: 1 (twice), last vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Blocks: 1 (three times), last vs. UCLA, 1-4-98#21 RAMEEKA LOWE
Season Highs Points: 15 vs. NMSU, 12-6-97 3-Pointers: 2 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Rebounds: 7 vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Assists: 10 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Steals: 8 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: 1 (three times), last vs. UCLA 1-4-98 Career Highs Points: 12 at USC, 2-24-97 3-Pointers: 2 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Rebounds: 7 vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Assists: 10 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97 Steals: 8 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: 3 vs. Arizona, 2-8-97#30 SPRING STEED
Season Highs Points: 4 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 2 (three times), last vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 Assists: 3 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 2 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: none Career Highs Points: 14 vs. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 11-30-96 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 5 vs. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 11-30-96 Assists: 3 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 2 (twice), last vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: none#32 MICHELLE TOM
Career Highs Points: 15 vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 3-Pointers: 2 vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 Rebounds: 3 vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Assists: 2 (twice), last vs. USC, 1-2-98 Steals: 3 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: none#40 JENNIFER BENNETT
Career Highs Points: 4 vs. Marquette, 11-29-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 7 vs. NMSU, 12-6-97 Assists: none Steals: 2 (three times), last vs. New Mexico, 12-10-97 Blocks: 2 vs. UCSB, 11-20-97#50 KELLIE MCDANAL
Career Highs Points: 8 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 3 (twice), last vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Assists: none Steals: 1 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: 1 vs. UCLA, 1-4-98#54 RACHEL HOLT
Season Highs Points: 24 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 11 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Assists: 1 (three times), last vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 Steals: 2 vs. USC, 1-2-98 Blocks: 3 vs. Marquette, 11-29-97 Career Highs Points: 24 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 3-Pointers: none Rebounds: 7 vs. New Mexico, 12-10-97 Assists: 1 (six times), last vs. Dayton, 11-30-97 Steals: 2 (three times), last vs. USC, 1-2-98 Blocks: 3 vs. Marquette, 11-29-97#55 STEPHANIE FREEMAN
Season Highs Points: 20 vs. SMU, 12-5-97 3-Pointers: 3 (three times), last vs. Auburn, 12-21-97 Rebounds: 6 vs. UCLA, 1-4-98 Assists: 8 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 6 (twice), last vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Blocks: none Career Highs Points: 22 vs. UCLA, 2-18-95 3-Pointers: 3 (three times), last vs. SMU, 12-5-97 Rebounds: 11 (twice), last vs. Oregon State, 1-26-95 Assists: 8 vs. Long Island, 12-20-97 Steals: 7 vs. Central Michigan, 12-30-94 Blocks: 2 vs. California, 3-6-97