WHEN: Friday at approx. 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: Colonial Life Arena • Columbia, S.C.
TELEVISION: ESPN2 – Note ESPN's policy as it relates to coverage: In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise the game of local interest. While constant updates from the other games will be provided in the home market, the networks will not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection ...For the first and second rounds, multiple games (as many as four) will begin within one telecast window. During those windows, the coverage will showcase the best action for viewers in the majority of the nation (except in the home markets of the competing teams)... ESPN3 and ESPN College Extra will carry the games in full that are not being aired in a national window.
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 (Coverage begins at 4 p.m. PT).
UP NEXT
The Arizona State women's basketball team opens play in the 2017 NCAA Tournament on Friday (approx. 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT) when it takes on Michigan State at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
The Sun Devils (19-12, 9-9 Pac-12 - No. 8 seed in Stockton Region) and the Spartans (21-11, 9-7 Big Ten - No. 9 seed) will be meeting in the second of two NCAA First Round games on Friday. The day will start off at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT when No. 3/4 South Carolina (27-4, 14-2 SEC - No. 1 seed) faces UNC Asheville (19-14, 9-9 Big South - No. 16 seed). The winners of Friday's games will meet on Sunday (time TBD) for the right to advance to the Sweet 16, which begins on Saturday, Mar. 25 in Stockton, Calif.
After hosting first and second round games each of the last two seasons, the Sun Devils will be traveling for NCAA competition for the first time since 2014. That year (as a No. 9 seed) they traveled to Toledo, Ohio, where they defeated No. 8 seed Vanderbilt before falling to the top seed in the South Bend Region, Notre Dame, in the second round.
After finishing the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 10-3 record, which included wins vs. then-No. 19 Florida and at then-No. 15 Kentucky, ASU struggled in conference play due in large part to losing four-year starting guard Kelsey Moos, who was injured in the second game of Pac-12 play and would go on to miss the next 12 games. ASU was also hindered by the loss of freshman post Jamie Ruden. The Sun Devils thought they had lost Ruden for the season after she suffered a serious foot injury in the days leading up to ASU's Pac-12 opener against Stanford. She would miss all 18 games in league play before returning to play in ASU's two Pac-12 Tournament games. In only her second game back she scored a career-high 12 points in ASU's Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal game vs. UCLA.
Michigan State is making its second consecutive and 16th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans, who have qualified for NCAAs 13 times in the last 15 seasons, finished tied for sixth place in the Big Ten regular season standings. MSU won two games in the Big Ten Tournament before falling to eventual tournament champion and current No. 4/3 Maryland, 100-89, in the tournament semifinals.
COVERAGE
Friday's ASU-MSU game will be shown on ESPN2. Dave Pasch (play by play) and LaChina Robinson (analyst) will call the action. Please note ESPN's policy as it relates to coverage: In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise the game of local interest. While constant updates from the other games will be provided in the home market, the networks will not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection ...For the first and second rounds, multiple games (as many as four) will begin within one telecast window. During those windows, the coverage will showcase the best action for viewers in the majority of the nation (except in the home markets of the competing teams)... ESPN3 and ESPN College Extra will carry the games in full that are not being aired in a national window.
Friday's game can also be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060. Coverage will begin at 4 p.m. in the Valley. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 13th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
SERIES NOTES
Friday's game will be the first ever meeting between ASU and Michigan State. Although the two schools have never met, the two head coaches are familiar with one another as Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant served as an assistant coach on Charli Turner Thorne's staff for the USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team that captured the gold medal in 2009. Also assisting on Turner Thorne's staff was former Pepperdine head coach Julie Rousseau, who is currently working on her PhD as a member of the Sun Devil women's basketball staff.
Looking ahead to potential second round opponents should ASU advance... ASU and South Carolina have met three times, most recently at the 2015 Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown played in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Gamecocks, who came into the game ranked second in the country, used a pair of free throws by A'ja Wilson with six-tenths of a second remaining to win 60-58. The Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 16 at the time, gave South Carolina all it wanted despite all three members of its starting front court – center Quinn Dornstauder and forwards Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos – missing portions of the game due to injury. Dornstauder played only 11 minutes in the first half after having to leave the game late in the first quarter while Moos (last 11-plus minutes of the game) and Brunner (last 4:27 of the game) were not available for the Sun Devils down the stretch. Moos (concussion) would go on to miss ASU's next four games while Brunner (ankle) had to sit out the ensuing six games. Prior to last season's game, South Carolina won the first meeting, 83-71, at the 1995 Northern Lights Tournament in Anchorage, Alaska. ASU won the ensuing meeting, 61-56, in the championship game of the 1999 Wells Fargo Classic in Tempe.
ASU and UNC Asheville have never met.
SUN DEVIL WBB NCAA NOTES
• The Sun Devil women's basketball program is making its 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (12th under the direction of head coach Charli Turner Thorne). ASU's overall NCAA record is 17-14 (15-11 record under Turner Thorne). ASU has advanced past the first two rounds four times during Turner Thorne's tenure ('05, '07, '09, '15).
• The Sun Devils have advanced as far as the Elite Eight on two occasions (2007 and 2009). ASU has won at least one game in nine of its last 10 tournament NCAA appearances (2002, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '14, '15, '16).
• ASU's No. 2 seed in 2016 represented its highest in program history. Prior to 2016 the highest seed it ever received was No. 3 (2007, 2015). The Sun Devils defeated No. 15 New Mexico State at home before being upset by No. 7 Tennessee in the second round.
• Prior to its first Elite Eight berth in 2007, the furthest ASU had reached was the round of 16 (1982, 1983 and 2005). In both 1982 and `83, ASU (No. 4 seed both years) lost to the eventual national champion in the round of 16 (Louisiana Tech in 1982 and USC in 1983).
• ASU's first NCAA appearance in the Turner Thorne era came in 2001. As the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, the Sun Devils fell to No. 6 LSU in the first round. Turner Thorne earned her first victory in the NCAA Tournament in 2002 after the Sun Devils (No. 9) defeated Wisconsin (No. 8) in the first round of the Midwest sub-regional, 73-70. ASU would fall to the top seed, Vanderbilt, in the second round, 61-35.
• As the No. 5 seed in the Tempe Region in 2005 ASU advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 22 years after defeating No. 4 seed Notre Dame, 70-61. In that game ASU overcame a 13-point, first-half deficit. In the Sweet 16 against North Carolina, ASU led by as many as 10 points and was within two points, 62-60, with 9:29 remaining before the Tar Heels closed out the game with a 17-12 run.
• As a No. 4 seed in 2006 ASU defeated Stephen F. Austin in the first round in Tucson (80-61) before falling to No. 5 Utah (86-65).
• ASU earned a No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Region in 2007 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history on its way to posting a school record 31 wins. ASU denied the upset bids of No. 14 Riverside (first round) and No. 6 Louisville (second round), overcoming double-digit deficits in the final 10 minutes of both games before defeating Bowling Green (67-49) in the Sweet 16. ASU's season ended with a 64-45 loss to Rutgers in the regional final.
• As a No. 6 seed in 2008, ASU defeated Temple (61-54) in the first round before bowing out with a 67-59 loss to Duke (No. 3 seed).
• In 2009, ASU (a No. 6 seed in the Trenton Region) earned its second Elite Eight berth in three years. ASU defeated No. 11 Georgia and No. 3 Florida State in Duluth, Ga., before knocking off the No. 2 seed, Texas A&M, in the regional semifinal in Trenton, N.J. ASU was defeated by eventual national champion UConn in the Trenton Regional final.
• In 2011, ASU (No. 7 in the Dayton Regional) lost to Temple, 63-45, in a first-round game contested in Salt Lake City.
• After a three-year absence, ASU returned to 'The Big Dance,' in 2014. As the No. 9 seed in the South Bend Region, ASU defeated No. 8 seed Vanderbilt, 69-61 in the first round, before falling to the top seed in the region, Notre Dame, 84-67. Both contests were played in Toledo, Ohio.
• ASU's 12 NCAA Tournament appearances since the 2000-01 season are the second-highest total in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.
BRUNNER, DORNSTAUDER AND RICHARDSON EARN PAC-12 HONORS
Sun Devil women's basketball players Sophie Brunner (All-Pac-12 First Team), Quinn Dornstauder (All Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 Defensive honorable mention) and Reili Richardson (Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention) were recognized by the Pac-12 earlier this month as the conference announced its annual awards for the 2016-17 season as voted on by the league's head coaches.
With the honor Brunner joined former Sun Devil Emily Westerberg (2004-07) as the only other Sun Devil in program history to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors three times. Brunner has started every game this season and currently leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), field goal percentage (52.5), 3-point field goal percentage (40.0) and rebounds (7.4 rpg), is second in steals (1.2 spg) and third in free throws made (71) and assists (1.7 apg). Brunner, who has scored in double figures 24 times this season and has grabbed nine or more rebounds 12 times, is ASU's active leader in points (1,376 - third on ASU's all-time list), rebounds (907- second on all-time list), assists (178) and steals (175).
Dornstauder, who along with Brunner are the only Sun Devils to start every game this season, currently leads the team in blocks (1.2 bpg) and is second in scoring (10.3 ppg), field goal percentage (49.0), rebounds (6.0 rpg) and free throws made (72). Currently third on ASU's all-time list in career blocks (127), Dornstauder has scored in double figures 20 times (including 14 times in ASU's last 19 games) and has grabbed eight or more rebounds 12 times. Dornstauder has posted five of her seven career double-doubles in ASU's last 19 games and just missed double-doubles on 3 other occasions.
Richardson has played in every game (23 starts) and currently leads the team in assists (3.9 apg) and free throw made (76), is second in 3-pointers (18) and free throw percentage (82.6) and third in scoring (8.0 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg). Last month Richardson set the single-season program record for most assists by a freshman (currently has 122). She surpassed the previous mark of 104 set by Kylan Loney in 2002. Richardson, who is also currently in eighth place for most points scored by a freshman (248), has scored in double figures 11 times, including a career-high 15 points vs. Washington State (Jan. 13).
IN CASE YOU ARE JUST JOINING US... WHERE WE ARE...
• The Sun Devils are close to being completely healthy for the first time since mid-December when they were playing their best basketball of the season. The stretch included consecutive wins over SEC foes Florida (ranked No. 19 at the time) and at Kentucky (ranked No. 15 at the time). After dropping its conference opener to Stanford, a game that was decided in the final minute, ASU rebounded to defeat a Cal team that came in unbeaten. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils the win came at a big cost as senior guard Kelsey Moos was injured late in the second overtime and would go on to miss ASU's next 12 games. At the time of her injury Moos led the team in 3-pointers (11), steals (1.8 spg) and free throw percentage (92.9), was second in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and third in assists (2.3 apg). Prior to the injury Moos had established new single-game career highs this season for assists (8) and steals (6) and tied a career high with three 3-pointers. In addition to being without Moos during that stretch, the Sun Devils were also without freshman forward Jamie Ruden who suffered a foot injury in practice on Dec. 28 that forced her to miss all 18 of ASU's Pac-12 games.
• Without Moos and Ruden, the daunting task of navigating the Pac-12 portion became that much more challenging. The nation's top-ranked league in RPI, the Pac-12 sent a league record seven teams to the NCAA Tournament this season: regular season champion No. 8/8 Oregon State (No. 2 seed in Stockton Region), Pac-12 Tournament champion and No. 6/6 Stanford (No. 2 seed in Lexington Region), No. 12/11 Washington (No. 3 seed in Oklahoma City Region), No. 15/14 UCLA (No. 4 seed in Bridgeport Region), ASU (No. 8 seed in Stockton Region), Cal (No. 9 seed in Oklahoma City Region) and Oregon (No. 10 seed in Bridgeport Region). The Pac-12 also had three teams earn WNIT bids: Washington State, Utah and Colorado. How tough was the Pac-12 this season? USC (not competing in postseason play) handed Oregon State its only home loss in Pac-12 play – by 20 points.
• A combination of the aforementioned injuries and playing all nine of their Pac-12 road contests over a 13-game span contributed to one 10-game stretch in which ASU went 3-7. Despite all it had been up against, ASU was tied in the fourth quarter of its first meeting vs. Washington (Jan. 15) and was a missed 3-pointer away from getting within two points late in the fourth quarter both at UCLA (Jan. 27) and vs. Oregon State (Feb. 3) and was within one point of Arizona (Feb. 17) in the final 40 seconds.
• The last weekend of the regular season ASU avenged its earlier loss at USC and nearly evened the score against UCLA. ASU led by as many as seven points twice in the third quarter before falling to the Bruins 55-52. The Sun Devils came up with an outstanding defensive performance against the Bruins, who at the time (Feb. 26) had not scored fewer than 60 points since a 66-57 loss at South Carolina on Dec. 18.
• ASU won its Pac-12 Tournament opener over Utah and advanced to the quarterfinals where it met UCLA a third time. The Sun Devils outscored the Bruins 55-38 over the last 23-plus minutes the game. Unfortunately it would not be enough to offset the deep hole it dug itself over the first 17 minutes of the game as the Sun Devils fell to UCLA 77-68. UCLA (led 26-7 after one quarter and would push its advantage to as many as 26 points in the second quarter before fending off several comeback attempts by the Sun Devils in the second half.
• ASU has held every Pac-12 opponent below its scoring average during the regular season and has held the opposition to 10 or fewer points in a quarter 24x this season.
• ASU has outrebounded the opposition in all but seven games: vs. Maryland (-19), at Stanford (-8), at UCLA (even) vs. Oregon State (-5), at WSU (-1), at Washington (-7) and vs. UCLA/Pac-12 Tourney (-5).
• A win over Michigan State would give ASU its fourth consecutive 20-win season. Only one other time has ASU had four or more 20-win seasons in a row (ASU won 20 or more games five straight seasons between 2005-09). A win over MSU would also give ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne her 400th win at ASU. In 2016 Turner Thorne recorded the 400th win of her career (includes 40 wins at NAU).
• Brunner (1,376 points) passed former Sun Devil Molly Tuter (1,374 points/1994-97) for third on ASU's all-time scoring list in ASU's Pac-12 quarterfinal contest vs. UCLA (Mar. 3). The two players above her are Cassandra Lander (1,670 points/1980-83) and Kym Hampton (2,361 points/1981-84). Brunner is also second on ASU's all-time list for most rebounds (907). The only player above her is Hampton, who had more points and rebounds (1,415) than any player (men or women) in ASU history.
• Dornstauder, who had two career double-doubles coming into this season, has posted five this season (all coming since the first weekend of Pac-12 play): vs. Cal (19/10), at Colorado (13/career-high 12 rebounds) at USC (13/10), at WSU (12/11) and vs. Utah (10/career-high-tying 12 rebounds). Dornstauder, who needs 38 points to reach 1,000K for career and needs 21 rebounds (currently has 564) to break into ASU's career Top 10, just missed double-doubles on three other occasions at Utah (15 points/9), at Cal (12 /8) and at Arizona (15/8).
• Moos is currently tied with former Sun Devil Kristin Kovesdy for fifth place on ASU's all-time rebounds list with 659. She needs 19 rebounds to pass Fran Ciak (1987-90/677 rebounds) for fourth place.
• Six of sophomore guard Sabrina Haines' seven double-figure scoring efforts this season have come in ASU's last nine games. Last month she averaged 15.5 ppg and made 62.5 pct of her FGs (10-16), including 67 pct of her 3ptrs (6-9) in ASU's consecutive wins vs. Oregon (Feb. 5) and at Washington State (Feb. 10). In the fourth quarter of those games Haines combined for 16 points and knocked down all four of her 3-pointers.
WHERE WE STARTED...
• This season ASU returned three senior starters – posts Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos – from the 2015-16 team that captured a share of the Pac-12 regular season title, won 26 games (tied for third-highest in program history) and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament (highest placement in program history). In addition, 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Charli Turner Thorne welcomed a five-member freshman class – Sydney Goodson, Reili Richardson, Jamie Ruden, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan – that was ranked among the nation's top 10 signing classes when it was announced last fall.
• ASU was picked to finish in fourth place in the Pac-12 by both the league's coaches and media who cover the conference. The Sun Devils received one first-place vote in the media poll.
SUPER SENIORS
This year's senior class – Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos with the addition of graduate transfer Sara Hattis from the University of Texas last spring – is the second class in school history to advance to the NCAA Tournament four consecutive seasons. The only previous class to accomplish the feat was the 2005-06 class that won 104 games (most ever in a four-year stretch), won at least one NCAA Tournament game all four years and earned ASU's only two Elite Eight appearances (2007, 2009). That class included current Indiana Fever guard Briann January, who ended her stint as a Sun Devil 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).
The accomplishment of making it to the NCAA Tournament four straight seasons is even more remarkable when taking into account the 2012-13 team finished with a 13-18 record. This year's senior class has helped lead the Sun Devils to 97 wins, a regular season Pac-12 championship (2016), a Sweet 16 appearance (2015) and the highest NCAA seed ever awards to the program (No. 2 in 2016).
Off the court the quartet has combined for a cumulative GPA of 3.78, two CoSIDA All-Academic All-District awards, and seven combined Pac-12 First- and Second-Team All-Academic awards.
SUN DEVIL WBB JUST AS SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM AS IT IS ON THE COURT; MOOS DISTINGUISHES HERSELF AS ONE OF PAC-12'S ALL-TIME BEST FOR CONFERENCE ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
Six Arizona State University women's basketball players were named to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Academic teams, announced by Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott on March 10.
The Sun Devils had two players earn first-team recognition (senior guard Kelsey Moos and senior center Quinn Dornstauder), one player earn second-team honors (senior forward Sophie Brunner) and three players named honorable mention (sophomore guard Sabrina Haines, sophomore forward Kianna Ibis and sophomore center 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.
Currently pursuing her master's degree in Liberal Studies (3.94 GPA) after earning her undergraduate degree in Communication in only three years (3.93 GPA), Moos joins former Sun Devil Jen Albert (2001-04) as the only Sun Devils to earn Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic recognition three times (the maximum number of first-team honors a student-athlete can earn).
A first-team honoree in 2015 and named second team last season, Dornstauder (3.84 GPA/Biochemistry) was named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District 8 Team in 2016.
Brunner (3.69 GPA/Education Studies) was recognized for her academic pursuits for the third straight year after earning honorable mention notice the last two seasons. Earlier this season Brunner was in consideration for Academic All-America honors after being named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District 8 Team.
Haines (3.73 GPA/Sports Journalism), Ibis (3.22 GPA/Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Health Innovation/Wellness Foundations) and Johnson-Chapman (3.29 GPA/ Family and Human Development) were all recognized in their first season of eligibility. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games.
The current Sun Devil squad turned in an extraordinary effort in the classroom that resulted in a 3.63 team GPA for the Fall 2016 semester. Every player on the roster had a cumulative GPA above 3.0, including nine players with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.
Since the 1996-97 season, head coach Charli Turner Thorne's first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (now 21) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (now 43). In 2014-15 ASU's team GPA (3.558) was No. 7 on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) 2015 Academic Honor Roll. Most recently the current Sun Devil squad turned in an extraordinary effort in the classroom that resulted in a 3.63 team GPA for the Fall 2016 semester. Every player on the roster had a cumulative GPA above 3.0, including nine players with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.
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 (399), 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 Turner Thorne was named the 2016 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, who recorded both the 400th win of her coaching career and her 200th Pac-12 win last season, 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.
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT AWARD IS LATEST OFF-THE-COURT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR SOPHIE BRUNNER
Sun Devil women's basketball senior forward Sophie Brunner has distinguished herself as a superstar not only for what she has done on the court – currently No. 2 on program's all-time list in career rebounds and No. 3 in career points – but what she has done off of it where she has been recognized both for her work in the classroom and in the community. On January 5 it was announced Brunner was one of 30 student-athletes named as candidates for the 2016-17 Senior CLASS Award® in women's basketball. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The most recent example of this off-the-court excellence came on Feb. 9 when Brunner was one of five players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Team, according to an announcement by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). By virtue of being named to the first team, Brunner advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. Brunner, who has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention recognition each of the last two seasons, currently maintains a 3.69 GPA in Education Studies. In December Brunner was one of 97 women's basketball student-athletes named as nominees for the 2017 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®. The esteemed award honors an outstanding group of student-athletes who represent the sport's finest in the areas of community service and leadership among their peers.
FREE THROWS
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.0 points per game since the start of the 2014-15 season (99 games). ASU has held the opposition to 50 or fewer points 32 times during that stretch. They are 31-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015. On average, opposing teams scored more than 15.0 points under their scoring average when facing ASU last season. In fact, only two opponents (Marquette and Tennessee), scored more points than what they averaged coming into their respective games vs. ASU...
• ASU's opponents have shot 25 percent or less from 3-point range 16 times this season. Over the last three seasons (99 games) ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 27.6 percent (330-1195) of its attempts from long range.
• In the last three-plus seasons the Sun Devils are 29-8 in games decided by five points or less and/or overtime, including a 4-2 record this season: ASU's 73-71 overtime win at No. 15 Kentucky on Dec. 11 and its 72-62, double-OT win vs. No. 21 Cal on Jan. 1, 68-63 win over Oregon on Feb. 5, 61-58 win at Washington State on Feb. 10, 62-58 loss at Arizona on Feb. 17 and 55-52 loss vs. UCLA (Feb. 26).
CELEBRATING ELITE ACCOMPLISHMENT
This season will be the 10th anniversary of ASU's first ever appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight. Led by senior forwards Aubree Johnson and Emily Westerberg who were both named to the All-Pac-10 Team, ASU set school records for overall wins (31), most Pac-10 wins (16 - tied in 2016) and most road wins (10 - broken in 2016) With the honor, Westerberg became the first Sun Devil to be named to the All-Pac-10 Team three times. In addition to Johnson and Westerberg's accolades, sophomore guard Briann January was named All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention and guard Dymond Simon was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
Members of the 2006-07 Elite Eight team were recognized at halftime of ASU's game vs. Arizona on Feb. 19.
INJURY NOTES
Kelsey Moos suffered a foot injury late in the second overtime of ASU's win over Cal on Jan. 1 and would go on to miss ASU's next 12 games before returning for ASU's game at Arizona on Feb. 17. Freshman guard Kiara Russell started the first seven games of the season at point guard before sustaining an injury (quad) in practice on Dec. 5. She missed six games and returned to action at Utah on Jan. 6. Freshman post Jamie Ruden suffered a foot injury in practice on Dec. 28 would go on to miss all 18 Pac-12 games before returning for ASU's opening round Pac-12 Tournament game vs. Utah (Mar. 2). Freshman Reili Richardson (team-high 11 points, career-high seven rebounds, career-high-tying seven assists) was forced to leave ASU's game vs. Washington (Jan. 15) after suffering an ankle injury with 7:37 remaining in the fourth quarter (game was tied at 48-48 at the time). By the time Richardson returned after being treated on the bench the Sun Devils were down 59-50 with 2:54 left.
FORMER VALLEY STANDOUT/UCONN TRANSFER COURTNEY EKMARK AWAITS OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY NEXT SEASON
Last summer 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, will have to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules and then will have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2017-18 season.
"I've know Courtney since she was nine years old and it is so exciting to welcome her home. She was one of the greatest high school players ever to come out of the state of Arizona and we are ecstatic beyond words that she is joining our program," Turner Thorne said. "Courtney is a player who can do it all and she will have an incredible impact in every part of the game. For those that don't know Courtney, her competitive spirit and work ethic are simply in the 99th percentile among college basketball players. Complementing her exceptional talent and toughness is Courtney's giving and passionate nature that will fit perfectly into our culture. She comes from an amazing family that we are very grateful is now part of our Sun Devil family."
Ekmark will be returning 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, 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.
SUN DEVIL WBB ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF EVA RUBIN AND BRE'YANNA SANDERS
On Nov. 9, 2016, Arizona State University head women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne announced that student-athletes Eva Rubin and Bre'yanna Sanders signed national letters of intent to join the Sun Devil women's basketball program.
"We are excited to announce that Eva and Bre will be joining our Sun Devil women's basketball family," Turner Thorne said. "Both of these young women come from great families and will not only excel on the court but in the classroom and our community."
A 6-5 post, Rubin will be coming to ASU from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois, where she averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as a junior in 2016. Ranked No. 14 at her position by ESPN.com, Rubin earned Class 3A/4A All-State recognition from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association last season in addition to also being named to the All-Area and All-Conference teams. As a sophomore in 2015, Rubin helped lead her squad to a fourth-place finish in the IHSA 4A state tournament. During Homewood-Flossmoor's run in the tournament, Rubin tied a Class 4A single-game record with five blocked shots.
A 6-0 forward, Sanders will be joining the Sun Devils from Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, where she has earned first-team All-Valley recognition in addition to being named the team's defensive player of the year each of the last two seasons. In 2016 Sanders averaged 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks in helping lead her team to 30-4 record and the semifinals of the Southern California Regional Open Division. She would go on to be named the league co-player of the year. In 2015 Sanders had a big role on a team that posted a 26-5 record, its third straight Central Section Division I title and reached the second round of the Southern California Open Division regional.