Nov. 22, 2012

Game Notes in PDF Format

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For the second time in as many weeks the Arizona State women's basketball team will be playing away from home when it travels to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2012 South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. The Sun Devils (0-2) will be playing games three consecutive days as they will face UNI (Fri., Nov. 23, noon PT/1 p.m. MT), North Carolina State (Sat., Nov. 24, 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT) and Florida (Sun., Nov., 25, noon PT/1 p.m. MT).

QUICK NOTES

• ASU is currently first in the Pac-12 in both free throw shooting percentage (.741) and opponent 3-point FG percentage (.241) and third in blocks (6.0 bpg).

• Individually, junior G Adrianne Thomas is currently tied for seventh in the Pac-12 in FG pct. (.615, 8-13 FGs), tied for 15th in steals (2.0 spg) and 23rd in the in scoring (12.0 ppg); RS-Jr. C Joy Burke is first in the Pac-12 in blocks (3.0 bpg), tied for seventh in defensive rebounds (7.0 rpg) and is ninth in overall rebounds (8.5 rpg); and sophomore G Promise Amukamara is first in FT shooting pct. (1.000). RS-Sr. Janae Fulcher, who missed most of last week's game vs. UTEP due to injury, leads ASU in FG pct. (.714, 5-7 FGs), but is not currently listed among the league leaders due to not meeting minimum shot attempts per game.

• ASU in currently in a stretch of its schedule in which it is playing six of eight games away from home. 

RADIO

ASU's games on Friday (vs. UNI) and Saturday (vs. N.C. State) can be heard live on www.thesundevils.com (via paid subscription). Coverage will begin at 12:30 p.m. MT on Friday and 3:30 p.m. MT on Saturday. Sunday's (vs. Florida) game can be heard live on 1440 AM KAZG. Pre-game coverage will begin at 12:30 MT.  Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his ninth season as the voice of ASU women's basketball. 

Live stats of every game will be available at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/sporttours.portal. In addition, live updates will also be posted on ASU's twitter page @SunDevilWBB.

SCOUTING UNI/SERIES NOTES

• UNI is 2-1 on the season winning their last two games (63-50 win over South Dakota and 66-50 over North Dakota State) after being edged by UW-Green Bay (54-53) in its season opener.

• The Panthers have had two players average double figures in scoring in their first three games: senior guard Jacqui Kalin (19.3 ppg) who is also 13-13 from the free throw line and redshirt freshman forward Jen Keitel, who is averaging 11.7 points a game coming off the bench.

• The Sun Devils have won their only meeting with UNI (84-69) in 1993.

SCOUTING N.C. STATE/SERIES NOTES

• N.C. State is off to a 4-0 start (all home games), most recently defeating Charleston Southern 81-54 on Tuesday.

• The Wolfpack enters this week's contests averaging 88.2 points per game (second in the ACC). Junior forward Kody Burke leads the ACC in scoring (19,3 ppg) and is fourth in blocks (2.5 bpg).

• N.C. State leads the all-time series 2-0 with the most recent meeting coming in 2000 (NCSU 54-51) at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawaii.

SCOUTING FLORIDA/SERIES NOTES

• Florida comes in with a 3-1 record. All three of its wins were at home while its lone loss came on the road at Florida State.

• The Gators currently have four players averaging double figures in scoring -- senior F Jennifer George (15.0 ppg), junior G Jaterra Bonds (11.5 ppg), RS-Fr. G Carlie Needles (10.3 ppg) and RS-So. G Kayla Lewis (10.3 ppg). 

• Florida has won both of the previous meetings, most recently 65-60 victory in the championship game of the 2008 Junkanoo Jam.

NOTES FROM LAST GAME: UTEP 60, ASU 54; NOV. 18, 2012; EL PASO, TEXAS

• ASU led 28-25 at the half in a game that included 10 ties and 15 lead changes. The Miners closed the game on a 17-9 run.

• Junior G Adrianne Thomas led ASU with a career-high 16 points, 11 of which came in the second half.

• ASU played much of game without its most experienced player, RS-Sr. Janae Fulcher, who left the game due to injury with just over 11 minutes left in the first half. Fulcher had started the game making her first two field goals.

• Sun Devil head coach Charli Turner Thorne on the game: "The more experienced team won out. We didn't get stops on defense and when we really needed to execute well on offense we had some lapses. Janae [Fulcher] having to leave the game in the first half really affected us. She had a great week of practice and she was really primed to go out and play well. I thought she started the game strong. She was confident, ready and locked in. Because she left, we ended up playing with lineups we had never played with before, but there still a lot to take from this game. I told the team at the beginning of the season that everybody is going to have an opportunity to step up and help us win, so `be ready.' I think ultimately the biggest thing is toughness. We needed to be more determined. I always believe that we control the outcome of the game."

NEW AND RETURNING CAST MEMBERS READY TO TAKE ON LEADING ROLES

On paper, one of the Sun Devils' biggest challenges this season figures to be how they will adjust to not having their top three scorers from last season -- Kimberly Brandon (9.8 ppg - graduated), Kali Bennett (8.3 ppg - graduated) and Deja Mann (7.6 ppg - will redshirt this season due to injury).

Among the returning players the Sun Devils will look to...

• Senior Janae Fulcher - Has played in 96 career games and has proven to be a very efficient shooter inside... Played a career-high 15.2 minutes per game last season... Free throw attempts and free throw makes have gone up each year of her Sun Devil career... Currently leads ASU in FG pct. (.714).

• Senior Micaela Pickens - Although she only has one season under her belt (transferred into ASU's program prior to last season), Pickens proved last season that she was a quick study as she finished her rookie campaign first on the team in steals (1.9 spg), second in blocks (0.8 bpg) and third in rebounding (3.7 rpg - most among ASU's guards)... has started both contests this season.

• Redshirt Junior Joy Burke - Had her freshman and junior years slowed by injuries and now, coming off a strong offseason, will look to be a force in the paint on both ends of the floor. Currently leads the Pac-12 in blocks (3.0 bpg) and is tied for fourth in defensive rebounds (7.0 rpg).

• Junior Adrianne Thomas - Has 65 games under her belt and is poised to have an impact this season. Is coming off a career-high 16-point effort in ASU's 60-54 loss at UTEP.

• ASU has eight other players who fit into the category of being either in their first year in the program (freshmen Elisha Davis, Arnecia Hawkins, Isidora Purkovic, and Haley Videckis and junior Nisha Barrett), a redshirt freshman (Eliza Normen), or a sophomore (Promise Amukamara and Jada Blackwell). Each has played in both games this season with the exception of Purkovic, who made her Sun Devil debut last week and scored seven points at UTEP.

• Both Amukamara and Blackwell had several impressive performances last season. Amukamara led the team in field goal percentage last season, and, more often than not, proved to be instant energy when she'd come off the bench, using her speed to be disruptive on the defensive end or finishing off fast break opportunities on the offensive end.  Amukamara is currently second on the team in both scoring (8.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg).

• Blackwell displayed great versatility last season on the offensive end, proving to be equally effective from the inside or the outside. She scored in double figures five times and grabbed 5 or more rebounds nine times, including five times in the last seven games of the season. 

• The coaching staff is extremely excited to see Normen out on the floor this season after the 2011 WBCA High School All-American had her 2011-12 season cut short after suffering a quad injury in the season's opening game. Normen's height (6-0) at the guard spot combined with her ability to handle the basketball figure to give the Sun Devils a player whose versatility could prove troublesome for the opposition.