Preview:
This game will determine whether we finish 3rd in the Pac 12 or 4th--and consequently whether we have an early matchup with Oregon or not. We had better shake off the last two losses and focus on winning this one. Arizona State has not been quite as successful this year as they normally have--chiefly due to the rise of Arizona which beat them twice-- but when playing at home they are superb (13-2). They are 20-9 with their best win being the defeat of Oregon on their home court, but they also played UCLA and Arizona very tight and split with Oregon State. They are ranked 24.
ASU has a lot of familiar names, but the most surprising one is Ja'Tavia Tapley who grad transferred in from USC and is leading the team with 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Robbi Ryan and Reili Richardson are the familiar guards who are the 2nd and 3rd leading scorers, and Jamie Ruden has been their 6th starter coming off the bench with limited minutes but still a potent offensive threat. Kiara Russel and Jayde Van Hyfte have been the 4th and 5th starters, but CTT does a lot of hockey-style line changes. No one on their team averages more than 27 minutes and 10 average double digits. In fact, other than Reili Richardson the point guard, no one averages more than 25 minutes. In looking over their roster and stats, it is clear that ASU is not an awesome offensive team--but on the other hand they spread their scoring out such that they are not easy to defend. Richardson at 38% and 53 makes is their only consistent 3 point shooter. Their strategy is to wear you down with persistent defense. I don't think Tara can keep 4 of our starters on the floor for 35+ minutes they way she has been doing lately against this kind of team. We shall see.
We will also be walking into an emotional setting, with this being the last home game (with no prospect for hosting the NCAAs) for Richardson, Tapley, Russell, Ryan, and Ruden. The crowd will be saying goodbye to all the stars of their team--some of them four year starters--and my guess is that we will get their Oregon-level performance. We will have to play close to the top of our game to come away with a win in that highly charged environment, something even Oregon could not do.
Overview:
We out-defensed Arizona State, winning a low scoring game by holding them to 16 baskets on 28% shooting. Belibi had an outstanding game, and there was little drama at the end.
Flow of the Game:
We led pretty much wire to wire. The first quarter was painfully defensive, but we came out ahead 10-7. The second quarter was where we made our best run, winning it 19-9 to give us a comfortable lead that we never relinquished. In that quarter Lexie made two treys and Belibi made 3 layups--she was 9/9 at one point. In the second half we began to commit more turnovers but not before we built a 22 point lead in the early 4th quarter. ASU closed on a 15-4 run, but it was too little too late, and we simply ran the clock down over and over until we finished with our 11 point lead.
Performances:
The game was won with an excellent defensive performance--it was person to person all the way, with Kate supplying the scout. ASU's leading scorer Tapley was held to 6 points and all I think on jump shots, Richardson was held to 6 points and 0/2 from three point range. Only Ryan was in double digits and on a less than efficient 5/15 shooting. Overall, ASU shot 28% and made only 16 baskets and suffered 6 blocks.
We held our turnovers down in the first half to 3, but dissolved with 13 turnovers in the second half. Lexie again led the way with 5. Fortunately ASU was not an accomplished enough offensive team to capitalize too much. We significantly out rebounded ASU but were tied with 14 O-boards. The most stunning stat was points in the paint--we had 38 to their 16. I think we had 16 against Arizona? Quite a turnaround, with Belibi leading the way. On the downside, we were an appalling 1/5 on free throws--appalling for the low number and the low percentage. ASU was 9/12. I wish I knew why, game after game, we get so very few free throw attempts.
Individually, Belibi led the was with 18 points on 9/10 shooting, to go with 9 rebounds 2 blocks and 2 steals in only 24 mintues of play. Zounds.
Williams had 13 points and took it to the rim quite often, but was 0/6 from three point range. She also had 4 assists and 4 turnovers.
Lexie also had 13 points, and was blessedly 3/5 from three point range, along with those 5 turnovers 4 rebounds and 1 assist.
Fingall played 36 minutes and was primarily a defensive presence, although she made a trey and a couple of assists.
Wilson and Lacey got significant minutes, with Wilson making a couple of baskets and grabbing 6 rebounds.
Fingall, Lexie, and Williams all played in the upper 30 minute range, with Belibi and Wilson getting 24, and Lacie and Dodson in the high teens. So three long-term starters instead of the 4 we saw against Arizona.
Conclusion:
Plenty of good and bad for the coaches to go over with the team. Now it is a date on Friday for the quarterfinals of the Pac 12 tournament for an opponent yet to be determined...most likely to be Oregon State again, and if we win that then the next likely opponent would be UCLA, followed by Oregon. That is certainly a daunting Pac 12 tournament, without a single game "off."
This game will determine whether we finish 3rd in the Pac 12 or 4th--and consequently whether we have an early matchup with Oregon or not. We had better shake off the last two losses and focus on winning this one. Arizona State has not been quite as successful this year as they normally have--chiefly due to the rise of Arizona which beat them twice-- but when playing at home they are superb (13-2). They are 20-9 with their best win being the defeat of Oregon on their home court, but they also played UCLA and Arizona very tight and split with Oregon State. They are ranked 24.
ASU has a lot of familiar names, but the most surprising one is Ja'Tavia Tapley who grad transferred in from USC and is leading the team with 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Robbi Ryan and Reili Richardson are the familiar guards who are the 2nd and 3rd leading scorers, and Jamie Ruden has been their 6th starter coming off the bench with limited minutes but still a potent offensive threat. Kiara Russel and Jayde Van Hyfte have been the 4th and 5th starters, but CTT does a lot of hockey-style line changes. No one on their team averages more than 27 minutes and 10 average double digits. In fact, other than Reili Richardson the point guard, no one averages more than 25 minutes. In looking over their roster and stats, it is clear that ASU is not an awesome offensive team--but on the other hand they spread their scoring out such that they are not easy to defend. Richardson at 38% and 53 makes is their only consistent 3 point shooter. Their strategy is to wear you down with persistent defense. I don't think Tara can keep 4 of our starters on the floor for 35+ minutes they way she has been doing lately against this kind of team. We shall see.
We will also be walking into an emotional setting, with this being the last home game (with no prospect for hosting the NCAAs) for Richardson, Tapley, Russell, Ryan, and Ruden. The crowd will be saying goodbye to all the stars of their team--some of them four year starters--and my guess is that we will get their Oregon-level performance. We will have to play close to the top of our game to come away with a win in that highly charged environment, something even Oregon could not do.
Overview:
We out-defensed Arizona State, winning a low scoring game by holding them to 16 baskets on 28% shooting. Belibi had an outstanding game, and there was little drama at the end.
Flow of the Game:
We led pretty much wire to wire. The first quarter was painfully defensive, but we came out ahead 10-7. The second quarter was where we made our best run, winning it 19-9 to give us a comfortable lead that we never relinquished. In that quarter Lexie made two treys and Belibi made 3 layups--she was 9/9 at one point. In the second half we began to commit more turnovers but not before we built a 22 point lead in the early 4th quarter. ASU closed on a 15-4 run, but it was too little too late, and we simply ran the clock down over and over until we finished with our 11 point lead.
Performances:
The game was won with an excellent defensive performance--it was person to person all the way, with Kate supplying the scout. ASU's leading scorer Tapley was held to 6 points and all I think on jump shots, Richardson was held to 6 points and 0/2 from three point range. Only Ryan was in double digits and on a less than efficient 5/15 shooting. Overall, ASU shot 28% and made only 16 baskets and suffered 6 blocks.
We held our turnovers down in the first half to 3, but dissolved with 13 turnovers in the second half. Lexie again led the way with 5. Fortunately ASU was not an accomplished enough offensive team to capitalize too much. We significantly out rebounded ASU but were tied with 14 O-boards. The most stunning stat was points in the paint--we had 38 to their 16. I think we had 16 against Arizona? Quite a turnaround, with Belibi leading the way. On the downside, we were an appalling 1/5 on free throws--appalling for the low number and the low percentage. ASU was 9/12. I wish I knew why, game after game, we get so very few free throw attempts.
Individually, Belibi led the was with 18 points on 9/10 shooting, to go with 9 rebounds 2 blocks and 2 steals in only 24 mintues of play. Zounds.
Williams had 13 points and took it to the rim quite often, but was 0/6 from three point range. She also had 4 assists and 4 turnovers.
Lexie also had 13 points, and was blessedly 3/5 from three point range, along with those 5 turnovers 4 rebounds and 1 assist.
Fingall played 36 minutes and was primarily a defensive presence, although she made a trey and a couple of assists.
Wilson and Lacey got significant minutes, with Wilson making a couple of baskets and grabbing 6 rebounds.
Fingall, Lexie, and Williams all played in the upper 30 minute range, with Belibi and Wilson getting 24, and Lacie and Dodson in the high teens. So three long-term starters instead of the 4 we saw against Arizona.
Conclusion:
Plenty of good and bad for the coaches to go over with the team. Now it is a date on Friday for the quarterfinals of the Pac 12 tournament for an opponent yet to be determined...most likely to be Oregon State again, and if we win that then the next likely opponent would be UCLA, followed by Oregon. That is certainly a daunting Pac 12 tournament, without a single game "off."