Arizona St (21) @ Utah - 2/23/20

[Shades]

Salt Lake City, UT - 2:00 PM ET
TV: Pac-12 Network (Krista Blunk, Amanda Smith)

Video stream:
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Audio:

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[Shades]

18-10 ASU midway through the first

 

[azfan]

Eboni Walker showing why she was a prized recruit out of Nevada. The Devils on an unaccustomed display of shooting accuracy burying threes in the first quarter. CTT cannot be pleased with the defense however.

Robbi Ryan's family made the drive down from Sheridan Wyoming to watch Robbi play.

 

[azfan]

Wow....Reili brought her stroke to Utah.

Devils need to step up on the defensive end of the court however.

 

[Shades]

35-26 ASU midway through the second

 

[azfan]

Sure would be nice if we could hit our free throws. Walker just missed two earlier Van Hefte missed her two. Also not our strongest defensive effort.

 

[azfan]

Crazy game. Perhaps the Devils best first-half offensively of the year coupled with perhaps their worst defensive half of the year.

The Devils failure to guard the perimeter cost them a double-digit lead going into the half.

Definitely the Devils will cool off in the second half so it's incumbent that we rediscover our defensive mojo.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Richardson has REALLY picked up her offense lately. Averaging around 9 ppg for the year, but last 3 games has scored 22, 17 and 16, has 15 already at halftime today.

 

[azfan]

This is the advantage of CTT's system. She has a squad that can all go off at any point in time. At various times in the year Tapley, Ryan, Ruden, and Freshman Eboni Walker have really shown their chops.

Glad to see Reili confidently strokes ng the ball. However part of that might be the fact that she's expending a little less energy at the defensive end of the court.

All the Devils need to step up defensively.

 

[Plebe]

Richardson has REALLY picked up her offense lately. Averaging around 9 ppg for the year, but last 3 games has scored 22, 17 and 16, has 15 already at halftime today.

The team really needs her offense. I've been a vocal critic of her relative lack of progress as an offensive threat since her freshman year, but she certainly has the clutch gene and her production has picked up in recent weeks.

 

[azfan]

In the coach is interview right before the start of the 3rd quarter CTT reiterated she does not want to be in a shootout. She wants to see some defense which is really going to be the key to the second half.

 

[Shades]

Utah has the lead going into the fourth

 

[Plebe]

I swear it must be a law of nature that ASU cannot have an easy game against anyone.

 

[Shades]

Can Utah hang onto a 6 pt lead for another 3:50 or will they choke?

 

[azfan]

Great second half by Utes. Torres was the difference.

 

[nwhoopfan]

USC no longer the only lower half team to knock off an upper half team. Figured there would be a few more down the stretch.

 

[Shades]

Another upset special. 75-71 Utes
You don’t want to be the favored team in these 2 o’clock games.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Hot shooting by both teams, ASU 10-20 behind the arc, Utah 11-21. Although it looks like ASU didn't have much success from 2 point range.

 

[azfan]

Hot shooting by both teams, ASU 10-20 behind the arc, Utah 11-21. Although it looks like ASU didn't have much success from 2 point range.

Congrats to Utes. Very poor defense by Devils. Torres and Glyten difference makers.

 

[Plebe]

Congrats to Utes. Very poor defense by Devils. Torres and Glyten difference makers.

ASU's defense is not what it has usually been. Currently #4 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense -- and will likely slip even lower after giving up 75 today.

 

[triaddukefan]

Not a good day to be a demonic spirit.

 

[TheFarmFan]

ASU's defense is not what it has usually been. Currently #4 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense -- and will likely slip even lower after giving up 75 today.

It's really, really hard to be elite at both, even if, and perhaps especially with, hockey line subs. To get in a groove offensively, you need consistent floor time. But if you're on the floor for 30-40 minutes a game, it's hard to have the motor to be dogged on defense every single play.

I've noticed that Stanford was its most elite defensive team in the past decade at the same time the offense slipped. When our offense picks up steam, our defense seems to slack. And I think, at least subconsciously, most players emphasize one much more than the other.

 

[azfan]

ASU's defense is not what it has usually been. Currently #4 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense -- and will likely slip even lower after giving up 75 today.

CTT made this observation about a month ago. In the past even when out mannef the Sun Devils were 40 minutes of high-intensity so that even if they got beat on the defensive end it wasn't because of lack of intensity.

This year I think incorporating transfers and freshmen into the rotation shows that we don't have a full roster of players who are committed to a 100% intensity on the defensive end. I think I've seen the same thing with Connecticut.

 

[azfan]

And CTT is going to have a huge challenge next year with defense.

Losing our seniors will leave us with a starting lineup right now of Jayde Van Hefty rising Junior, Eboni Walker rising sophomore, Taya Hanson rising junior, Sara Bejedi rising sophomore and at this point who knows maybe Sydney Caldwell rising sophomore.

Other than Van Hefte none of these are accomplished defenders. Eboni Walker has the athleticism but has a lot of work to do to become a strong defender.

Next year ends Sun Devil streak of 20 + win seasons.

 

[Shades]