WHEN: Thursday at 2 p.m. MT
WHERE: Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz. • Click here to purchase tickets
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Arizona (Cindy Brunson, Julianne Viani)
RADIO: Tune-In Radio
LIVE STATS: Click here
PROMOTION: Fans can get photos with Santa on the East Concourse of Wells Fargo Arena from 1-2:30 p.m.
UP NEXT
The Arizona State women's basketball team closes out the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule on Thursday (2 p.m. MT) when it hosts Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas at Wells Fargo Arena.
Currently 8-3, the Sun Devils will look to enter Pac-12 play on a winning note as they will face an Arkansas team led by former Washington head coach Mike Neighbors. A win over Arkansas (8-3) would give the Sun Devils a 5-1 record in their final six non-conference games and would also give them 49 wins in non-conference games going back to 2013 (9.8 per-season-average).
Coming off their longest layoff of the young season (eight days), ASU rebounded from a 77-66 loss at current No. 13/then-unbeaten Florida State with an impressive, wire-to-wire 77-33 win over Idaho on Monday. An outstanding defensive effort and Jamie Ruden's career-high 19 points helped pave the way for the win. Kianna Ibis added 16 and Robbi Ryan had 12 for the Sun Devils, who put the clamps down on Idaho's offense as the Vandals shot 24.5 percent for the game and scored 23 points fewer than their previous season-low point total. ASU's ability to ice the Vandals (3-7) from beyond the arc – they were among the top 10 in the nation in 3-pointers per game (10.2) coming into the night – proved to be a big reason for ASU's success on the defensive end. Although they would go on to make six triples it took them 27 attempts to do it (22.2 percent). The Sun Devils were just as dominant on the boards where they were plus-23 for the night (52-29), including a 19-6 advantage in offensive rebounds that enabled them to outscore Idaho 29-3 in second chance points. Charnea Johnson-Chapman (four points, career-high 12 rebounds), Courtney Ekmark (eight points, seven rebounds), Ryan (six rebounds) and Ruden (career-high six rebounds) accounted for 33 of those rebounds.
ASU is currently in a stretch it which it is playing only seven games in the month of December, a 180-degree difference from the way it started the season in which it played seven games in 14 days. All three of ASU's losses have come to teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25: vs. No. 5 Mississippi State (65-57), vs. No. 21 Green Bay (61-48) and at No. 13 Florida State (77-66). ASU's games against Mississippi State and Green Bay came on consecutive days when they were at Cancun Challenge (Nov. 23-25) over Thanksgiving Weekend. Against Mississippi State the Sun Devils rallied from a 13-point deficit to lead the Bulldogs by one point at the half and two points after three quarters. The game's major turning point came at the outset of the fourth quarter when Mississippi State went on an 8-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a six-point lead. The Sun Devils trailed the rest of the way as they could get no closer than three points.
COVERAGE
Thursday's game vs. Arkansas can be seen live on Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Arizona (Cindy Brunson, Julianne Viani). The game can also be heard live on the Sun Devils Athletics Tune-In Channel. Pregame coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. MT. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 14th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball. He will be joined by former Sun Devil head coach Maura McHugh.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS ARKANSAS
This will be only the second meeting between Arkansas and ASU. In the only prior meeting the Razorbacks prevailed 83-65 in a contest played in Tempe on Dec. 2, 1989.
THE BIG PICTURE
As of Dec. 20 ASU's eight wins were tied for second most among teams in the Pac-12. USC (9-1) and Oregon (9-2) were tied for the top spot with nine wins. Joining ASU with eight wins were Oregon State (8-2), Colorado (8-2), Utah (8-2), Cal (8-2) and UCLA (8-2).
After this week's non-conference games the Sun Devils will open Pac-12 play the final weekend in December when they go on the road to face Colorado (Dec. 29) and Utah (Dec. 31).
DEVILS WILL BE WITHOUT SABRINA HAINES FOR REMAINDER OF THE SEASON
Junior Sabrina Haines, who entered the season as one of ASU's starting guards, was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury against UC Riverside on Dec. 3. A starter in 38 of 75 career games, Haines came on towards the end of last season as she posted eight of her nine double-digit scoring efforts in the final 11 games of the season. She tied for the team lead in scoring (13.3 ppg) in ASU's four post season contests (two in the Pac-12 Tournament and two in the NCAA Tournament).
Haines had played in all nine of ASU's games (six starts) and had scored in double figures five times, including a career-high-tying 19 points in ASU's win vs. Sacramento State (Nov. 18). At the time of her injury Haines led the team in free throw percentage (86.7/1st in Pac-12), was second in scoring (10.2 ppg) and tied for second in steals (1.2 spg).
HOW IS THIS FOR IMPROVEMENT?
The Sun Devils have recently found their shooting touch from long range as they have connected on 41.4 percent of their 3-pointers in their last four games. How much have they improved? In the first seven games of the season ASU's shots from downtown found their intended mark only 24.2 percent of the time. ASU has also struck with greater frequency in the last four games as they have averaged nearly double the number of 3-pointers (6.0) than they did the first seven games (3.4). The Sun Devils hit a season-high nine 3-pointers at Florida State on Dec. 10. Leading the way was Reili Richardson who connected on a career-high four triples.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• ASU enters Thursday's game second in the Pac-12 and 13th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 53.8 ppg. The Sun Devils have limited the opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 22 times this season, including a season low of three points scored by Idaho in the fourth quarter on Dec. 18.
• ASU has allowed an average of only 55.9 points per game since the start of the 2014-15 season (112 games). ASU has held the opposition to 50 or fewer points 37 times during that stretch. They are 36-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015.
• Over the last three-plus seasons (112 games) ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 28.0 percent of its attempts from long range.
IT'S ALL ABOUT POSSESSIONS
• The Sun Devils are currently first in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation in turnovers per game (11.9). They also lead the Pac-12 and are 35th in the country in turnover margin (+5.6) and are third in the Pac-12 and 18th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
• ASU has made the most of its takeaways as it is averaging 19.9 points per game off the opposition's turnovers. They have scored 20 or more points off turnovers in more than half of their games (six of 11), including a season-high 28 vs. UTSA on Nov. 12.
• The Sun Devils are averaging only 14.4 turnovers the last three plus seasons (112 games).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Sun Devils have made Wells Fargo Arena one of the toughest places to play in recent years as they have won 85.9 percent of their home games (61-10) going back to the 2013-14 season, including a 6-0 mark this season.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS OF NOTE
• Reili Richardson, who leads the Sun Devils in assists (4.9 apg/tied for ninth in the Pac-12), leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Richardson, who has 27 assists and only four turnovers in ASU's last four games, tied her career high with 10 assists (second time this season) in ASU's win over Buffalo on Dec. 2nd.
• Jamie Ruden is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 in 3-point FG percentage (50.0/10-21). Ruden, who knocked down a career-high three triples in ASU's win over UC Riverside on Dec. 3, is coming of a career-high 19-point game in ASU's win over Idaho (Dec. 18).
• Charnea Johnson-Chapman is currently seventh in the Pac-12 in FG pct. (55.2). Also the team leader in rebounds (7.5 rpg/tied for 13th in the Pac-12), Johnson-Chapman has grabbed 7 or more rebounds 9x, including a career-high 12 in ASU's win over Idaho (Dec. 18).
• Currently leading the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), Kianna Ibis is 24th in the Pac-12 in scoring and 10th in field goal percentage (53.2). Ibis' 20 points in ASU's win over Colgate (Nov. 19) represent the single-game high for a Sun Devils this season.
• Robbi Ryan is ninth in the Pac-12 in FG percentage (53.6). She has hit 60 percent of her shots (12-20) in ASU's last two games.
• Also among the Pac-12's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio is Kiara Russell (ninth). Russell has 14 assists and only two turnovers in ASU's last three games.
BENCH PRODUCTION
Although ASU's roster may be small in numbers (10 student-athletes on current active roster), it has not kept the Sun Devils from having an extremely productive bench. On average, ASU's reserves are outscoring the opposition's bench 28.0-11.4. Leading the way is Jamie Ruden, who is currently third on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg). Ruden has scored in double figures in five of ASU's last six games, including a career-high 19 points vs. Idaho (Dec. 18).
ASU PACES THE PAC-12 IN NON-CONFERENCE WINS SINCE 2013
Including this season's 8-3 record, ASU's 48 regular season, non-conference wins are more than any other team in the Pac-12 since 2013. As a conference the Pac-12 has been raked No. 1 in the RPI each of the last two seasons. Last year's win over Holy Cross was ASU's 40th regular-season, non-conference win between 2013-16. Going back to the 1986-87 season – the first season of Pac-10/Pac-12 play – the 40 regular-season, non-conference wins were by far the most in a four-season stretch in program history (the next highest total was 33 games done three times: 2003-06/2004-07/2005-08).
PRESEASON POLLS
Both the coaches and media picked the Sun Devils to finish sixth in the Pac-12.... The Sun Devils received votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches preseason polls... In other preseason polls of note, ASU came in at No. 23 in Lindy's Sports and No. 25 in ESPN.com. The Sun Devils were picked to earn a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament in ESPN.com Charlie Creme's first Bracketology post of the season (Nov. 7). ASU cracked the AP Top 25 on Nov. 20 coming in at No. 24. However after going 1-2 at the Cancun Challenge ASU fell out of the poll. ASU is currently receiving votes in both polls.
SUN DEVIL WBB'S REILI RICHARDSON EARNS SILVER MEDAL AT FIBA 19 WORLD CUP
Sophomore guard Reili Richardson became the fourth Sun Devil women's basketball player to earn a medal since 2015 as the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team claimed silver at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Udine, Italy.
Richardson became the most recent Sun Devil to earn a medal in international competition as former Sun Devils Katie Hempen (gold/USA/World University Games), Quinn Dornstauder (silver/Canada/World University Games) and Sophie Brunner (silver/USA/Pan American Games) claimed medals in 2015.
Richardson averaged 10.8 minutes per game and was a steady contributor in helping the USA to wins in each of its first six games at the FIBA World Cup.
Richardson, a 5-11 guard, is coming off an outstanding freshman campaign in which she set ASU's single-season freshman record for assists (126). A Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention honoree, Richardson played in every game (25 starts) last season and led the team in assists (3.8 apg/12th in the Pac-12) and tied for the team lead in free throws made (79), was second in 3-pointers (20) and free throw percentage (82.3/12th in the Pac-12) and third in scoring (8.4 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg). She also finished fifth in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Richardson, whose 277 points ranked seventh in program history for most points scored by a freshman, scored in double figures 13 times, including a career-high 16 points at eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, a game the Sun Devils led going into the final minute.
FORMER VALLEY STANDOUT/UCONN TRANSFER/FIRST-YEAR LAW SCHOOL STUDENT COURTNEY EKMARK MAKES HER SUN DEVIL DEBUT IN 2017-18
In June 2016 Charli Turner Thorne announced that former UConn guard Courtney Ekmark would be transferring into the Sun Devil women's basketball program. Ekmark, who completed her sophomore season for the Huskies in 2015-16, sat out the 2016-17 season per NCAA transfer rules. She has two years of eligibility remaining. Ekmark, who earned her degree in Liberal Studies (May 2017) in only three years, is currently a first-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Ekmark returned to the Valley where she helped lead St. Mary's High School to an 87-3 record (included a 49-game winning streak), three straight Division I State Titles, a No. 1 ranking in the USA Today Super 25 in 2012 and a No. 2 ranking in 2013. Ekmark was named the state of Arizona's Gatorade Player of the Year following a junior season in which she averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals. In the 2013 state tournament, she averaged 21.5 points in helping lead the Knights to the title. In the 49-37 championship game win over Pinnacle, Ekmark had a game-high 14 points, becoming the first Arizona player to be the top scorer in three consecutive championship games. In addition to her outstanding play on the hardwood, Ekmark also excelled on the tennis court for St. Mary's, earning the top singles spot on the team. As a member of UConn's two most recent NCAA championship teams (2015 and 2016), Ekmark played in 61 games, including 10 of the Huskies' 12 NCAA Tournament games. She averaged 9.3 minutes per game during those two seasons and connected on 38 percent of her field goal attempts.
CHARLI TURNER THORNE HAS SUN DEVIL WBB AMONG NATION'S ELITE
The all-time winningest coach in program history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in career wins (408), Charli Turner Thorne has turned Sun Devil women's basketball into one of the nation's premiere programs since taking over in 1996-97. Included in ASU's earlier run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances (2000-12) were a school record five-consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 2005-09. During that time ASU qualified for the Elite Eight on a pair of occasions, making it one of only 15 programs in the country to have qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times between 2007-12.
Last season the Sun Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and the 12th time under Turner Throne's guidance. ASU gave eventual national champion South Carolina its toughest game of the NCAA Tournament as it led the Gamecocks by as many as 11 in the second half and took a one-point lead into the final minute of the game before falling, 71-68.
In 2016 Turner Thorne was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year (coaches and media), the second time she has been recognized with the honor (2001), after leading the Sun Devils to their second regular season Pac-12 championship. ASU would go on to earn its highest NCAA Tournament seed (No. 2) in program history. In 2016 ASU has also tied the program records for most conference wins (16) and consecutive wins (15) and set the program record for most road wins (11). Turner Thorne would go on to also be named the WBCA Region 5 Co-Coach of the Year. In 2014-15 Turner Thorne was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year for a season in which she led the Sun Devils to their best start in school history (18-1), their best conference start in school history (7-0), a second-place finish in the Pac-12 and 29 wins, the second-highest number of wins in school history. In 2013-14 Turner Thorne raised the curtain on the team's current era of success as she helped the Sun Devils post one of the best turnarounds in the country as they went from a 13-18 record and a ninth-place Pac-12 finish (5-13) in 2012-13 to a 23-10 record and fourth-place Pac-12 finish (11-7). Included among ASU's 23 wins in 2013-14 were three triumphs over Top 25 teams. The outstanding success Sun Devil women's basketball has enjoyed under Turner Thorne is a 180-degree difference from the program that had an aggregate record of 20-60 in the three years prior to her arrival and only two NCAA Tournament wins in its history.
SUN DEVIL WBB EARNS NO. 5 RANKING IN WBCA ACADEMIC TOP 25
For the second time in three years the Arizona State women's basketball program finished among the nation's best in combined team GPA. With a final team GPA of 3.672 for the 2016-17 academic year the Sun Devils finished fifth in the nation (the highest ranking in program history) among Division I institutions in the WBCA's annual Academic Top 25. The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
ASU's No. 5 finish represents the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils have been among the top 10 programs in the country after placing seventh (3.558) for the 2014-15 academic year. In 2016-17 ASU was one of only eight teams around the country to be included in the WBCA's Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, ASU and DePaul were the only two schools to advance past the first round.
In March the Sun Devils had two players earn Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic recognition (2017 senior Kelsey Moos and Quinn Dornstauder), one player earn second-team honors (2017 senior Sophie Brunner) and three players named honorable mention (current Sun Devils Sabrina Haines, Kianna Ibis and Charnea Johnson-Chapman). ASU was the only Pac-12 school with two first-team honorees and led all Pac-12 schools with three combined first- and second-team honorees. Moos became only the 11th player in Pac-10/12 history (going back to 1986-87) to earn conference first-team recognition three straight years. Brunner was also eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors after being one of five players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Team in February.
Since the 1996-97 season, Turner Thorne's first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (21) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (43).
ALL-TIME SUN DEVIL GREAT, CURRENT INDIANA FEVER GUARD BRIANN JANUARY JOINS SUN DEVIL WBB COACHING STAFF
All-time Sun Devil great and current Indiana Fever guard Briann January returned to ASU as an assistant coach this past April. January, who helped lead ASU to 104 wins – the most in program history in a four-year span – while playing for the Sun Devils, will continue her professional playing career with Indiana where she is currently preparing to start her ninth season.
January, who last year was named to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Century Team, concluded her Sun Devil playing career at or near the top of several ASU career statistical categories including assists (first), free throw percentage (first), steals (second), free throws (second), 3-point field goal percentage (fourth), 3-point field goals (fifth) and points (seventh). A two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, January earned honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press and WBCA in 2009. During her four-year career the Sun Devils won 77 percent of their games (104-32), including 82 percent of their Pac-10 games (59-13), and qualified for the NCAA Tournament all four years, including two Elite Eight appearances (2007, '09).
January was selected by the Fever with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. In that time she has played a major role in helping Indiana qualify for the playoffs each of the last eight seasons, including three trips to the WNBA Finals and a WNBA championship in 2012. January is coming off a 2016 campaign in which she averaged 9.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and a career-best 4.7 assists per game while being named to the WNBA's All-Defensive Team for the fifth straight season. In 2014, January was named to the East All-Star Team for the WNBA's annual All-Star Game that was played in Phoenix. In 2012, January averaged 10.0 ppg in the WNBA Finals to help lead the Fever over the Minnesota Lynx for the WNBA title. As a rookie in 2009, January had an immediate impact as Indiana made its first WNBA finals appearance.
ANGIE NELP JOINS SUN DEVIL WBB COACHING STAFF; JACKIE MOORE PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
This past May Charli Turner Thorne announced the appointment of Angie Nelp as assistant coach and that Jackie Moore had been promoted to associate head coach. Nelp joined ASU from Rice University where most recently she helped guide the Owls to a WBI Championship (the school's first postseason title) and 22 victories in 2016-17, the second-most wins in a single season. The Owls improved by 13 wins from her first to second season, one of the top increments in the nation. Players who Nelp has mentored in her time as an assistant coach have combined for 17 All-Conference awards. In addition she has helped develop three players who went on to play in the WNBA and eight players who signed to play professionally overseas.
Rice led all of Conference USA in total assists (558) and total rebounds (1,308) while setting a single-season program record in 3-pointers (242). In addition the Owls ranked second in the league in assists per game (15.9), field goal percentage (.444), made three-pointers (242) and free throw attempts (626). The Owls set a school record with 13 home victories in the 2016-17 season and the team's 9-2 start was the best by a Rice squad since the 1988-89 season.
Nelp joined the Owls after spending four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Mercer where she was responsible for coaching the guards, as well as scout and film preparation. Nelp helped lead Mercer to two 20-win seasons, setting school records for most conference and non-conference wins while orchestrating one of the nation's quickest program turnarounds in one year as the Bears went from six to 20 wins.
Moore, who has more than 20 years of coaching experience, joined the Sun Devil coaching staff in 2012. In addition to serving as the program's recruiting coordinator, Moore's on-court contributions have been vital to ASU's recent success, which includes 98 wins and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 2014.