Sun Devil WBB travels to Tucson for Super Sunday rematch vs. No. 6 Arizona

THE GAME: Sun Devil WBB (12-8, 4-3 Pac-12) at No. 6/7 Arizona (17-4, 7-4 Pac-12)
WHEN: Sunday at 12 p.m. MST
WHERE: McKale Center • Tucson, Ariz.
WATCH: Pac-12 Network, Arizona (Cindy Brunson, Joan Bonvicini) 
LISTEN: KDUS AM 1060 (Jeff Munn/Maura McHugh) 
LIVE STATS: Click here
 

UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team plays the first of four road games in eight days when it travels to Tucson on Sunday (12 p.m. MST) to face No. 6 Arizona for the second time in three days.
 
After upsetting Arizona 81-77 on Friday – ASU's third consecutive win and its second straight win over a Top 25 team (defeated then-No. 19 Oregon 55-49 last Sunday) the Sun Devils (12-8, 4-3 Pac-12) come into Sunday's game in fifth place (based on winning percentage) in the Pac-12 standings. Two of ASU's next three opponents – Arizona (17-4, 7-4/3rd place) and Washington State (15-8, 7-5/4th place) – currently occupy the spots right in front of them.
 
Jade Loville (27 points), Taya Hanson (19 points) and Mael Gilles (19) combined for 65 points in ASU's 81-77 win over Arizona on Friday night in Tempe. ASU led by as many as 14 points before having to make up a three-point deficit in the final minutes to pull off the upset. ASU operated at high level of efficiency on a number of levels, shooting 91 percent (31-34) at the free throw line and 54.5 percent (6-11) from long range. Especially important in the win was ASU's performance on the boards where it was plus-14 (42-28) for the game. Gilles pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with her career-high night in scoring for her fourth double-double of the season. Loville, who has averaged 25.3 points during ASU's current winning streak, added a season-high eight rebounds.
 
If the remainder of February's schedule stays true, the Sun Devils will have played the most games in the month of February in program history (10). Four previous squads played nine: 1975-76, 1976-77, 1981-82, 2015-16.
 
Only Cal (10-7, 1-5) has played fewer Pac-12 games than ASU (had seven games postponed). The other 10 teams have played anywhere between nine and 12 conference games. ASU made up one postponement at Oregon (Feb. 1) and will make up another at Cal on Wednesday. ASU will then travel to the state of Washington for games at WSU (Friday) and at UW (Sunday).
All four of Arizona's losses – three by six points or less – have come in Pac-12 play and on the road: at USC, at Oregon, at Stanford. at ASU. For the Sun Devils, Sunday's game will represent the last of six consecutive games against teams in the top third of the Pac-12 standings.
 
SERIES NOTES VERSUS ARIZONA
• The Sun Devils have won 30 of the last 38 meetings, however Arizona has won four of the last seven meetings. 
• Arizona's 58-53 win on Dec. 29, 2019 was its first in Tempe since 2000. ASU swept the season series in 2015, 2016 & 2018 and split with the Wildcats in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
• ASU's 81-77 win on Friday was the second consecutive down-to-the-wire contest betwen the two schools. ASU knocked off the Wildcats 66-64 (OT) in last season's rematch in Tempe. Jaddan Simmons scored 11 of her 15 points over the last 9:20 (last 4:20 of regulation and 5:00 of OT) of the game and was awarded Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors after the win. The 100th 3-pointer of Taya Hanson's career broke a 62-62 tie in the extra period and gave the Sun Devils a lead they would not relinquish. Arizona won the first match of 2021-22, 65-37 in Tucson.                             
 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Through games played Feb. 11, ASU has an NCAA Net ranking of 40, one of six Pac-12 teams in the Top 50 (Stanford - 3, Oregon - 7, Arizona - 10, Utah - 23, Colorado - 33). Of those teams, ASU has wins over Colorado, Oregon and Arizona.
• As of Feb. 12, ASU is ranked among the top third in the Pac-12 in 3-pt FG pct. defense (2nd/28.8), offensive rebounds (3rd/13.4 rpg), scoring defense (4th/58.9) and FT pct. 4th/75.5) and rebounding defense (4th/33.3 rpg).
• Jade Loville went over the 1,000-point mark in career scoring with a game-high 19 points at No. 2 Stanford (Jan. 28). In Pac-12 games, Loville currently leads the league in scoring (20.5 ppg). Loville, who had a season-high 8 rebounds in upset of No. 6 Arizona (Feb. 11), is averaging 25.5 points during ASU's current three-game winning streak.
• In ASU's 3 wins over ranked teams – No. 22 Colorado, No. 19 Oregon, No. 6 Arizona – Taya Hanson has averaged 15.5 ppg while shooting 43 pct from long range (6-14). In those same games, Mael Gilles has nearly averaged a double-double (10.3 ppg/9.0 rpg).
• The team's active career leader in 3-pointers (138/3rd place on ASU's all-time list), Hanson needs 23 triples to tie Kylan Loney (161/2001-05) for 2nd place. The top spot is held by Katie Hempen (185/2014-16).
• Four players have led or tied for the team lead in scoring this season – Loville (10x), Simmons (4x), Hanson (4x), Gilles (4x).
• The Ls that could have been Ws: ASU was... outscored 12-5 in OT loss to Minnesota (Nov. 12)... within 7 points in the 4th quarter at BYU (Nov. 17)... down by as many as 17, ASU got within 5 points in the 4th quarter vs. Houston in Cancun (Nov. 25)... led by 7 in the 4th quarter at Creighton (Dec. 12)... down by as many as 29, ASU got within 6 points twice in the 4th quarter vs. Utah (Jan. 23)... entered fourth quarter at Oregon (Feb. 1) within 3 points of the Ducks. 
• Defensively, ASU has given up 55 or fewer points 10x this season. In its 57-52 OT win over Colorado (Jan. 21), ASU held CU nearly 18 points below its scoring average. CU's 52 points tied its lowest point total of the season. It needed the five additional minutes in OT to reach that as the Buffaloes had 46 points in regulation. ASU held Oregon more than 24 points below its average in its 55-49 upset of the No. 19 Ducks (Feb. 6).
• ASU has allowed 13 or fewer points in a quarter 37x this season. 
• ASU has allowed an average of only 57.3 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (a span of 244 games). It has held the opposition to 50 or less points 73 times during that stretch (ASU is 69-4 in those contests).
• Including its 8-5 record this season, ASU is 81-18 (.818) in non-conference, regular season games since 2013. 
 
CONTRIBUTORS APLENTY
• Two Sun Devils have started every game: Jaddan Simmons and Taya Hanson – both returning starters from last season's squad. 
• Simmons: Leads ASU in assists (3.0 apg/12th in Pac-12), steals (1.7 spg/8th in the Pac-12), is t2nd in FTs made (55) and attempted (73), is 4th in 3-pointers (14) and 5th in rebounds (3.4 rpg).
• Hanson: Is 2nd on the team in 3FGs (27), is tied for 2nd in blocks (0.7 bpg), 3rd in assists (2.4 apg) & steals (1.4 spg) and tied for 3rd in rebounds (3.6 rpg). Hanson scored 17 points in ASU's win over No. 22 Colorado (Jan. 21) and in its win over OSU (Feb. 4). She tied her career high in reboubds (7) in the win over Colorado and again in ASU's upset of No. 19 Oregon (Feb. 6). Hanson, who has has made all 25 of her FTs in Pac-12 play, scored a season-high 19 points in upset of No. 6 Arizona (Feb. 11).
• Transfers Jade Loville (Boise State) and Mael Gilles (graduate transfer from Rutgers) have both started all 19 games they have played in.
• Loville: Leads ASU in scoring (17.1 ppg/3rd in Pac-12), 3-pointers (31), FG pct (45.6) and 3-point FG pct. (44.9/4th in Pac-12) and FTs made (57) and attempted (75). On Dec. 18, Loville became the fourth Sun Devil to score 30 or more points since 2000, as the 2021 All-Mountain West honoree dropped 34 points (most in the Pac-12 as of Feb. 11) in ASU's win over San Diego (Dec. 18). She repeated the feat by accounting for 19 of her game-high 33 points (tied for 2nd-highest total in the Pac-12 this season) in the second half of ASU's win over Oregon State (Feb. 4).  Loville scored an opponent game-high 27 points in ASU's upset of No. 6 Arizona (Feb. 11). DNP for precautionary reasons in ASU's contest vs. Colorado (Jan. 21). 
• Gilles: Currently paces the team in rebs (7.8 rpg/4th in the Pac-12), offensive rebs (2.5 rpg/6th in Pac-12) and blocks (1.21 bpg/11th in Pac-12) and is 2nd in scoring (9.9 ppg), steals (1.7 spg/8th in Pac-12) & assists (2.5 apg). Gilles has four double-doubles and has just missed the feat three other times. She has scored in double figures 8x – including career-high 19 points (10-of-10 FTs) in upset of No. 6 Arizona (Feb. 6) – and has grabbed 10 or more rebs 6x. DNP for precautionary reasons in ASU's contest vs. Lipscomb (Dec. 30).
• Jayde Van Hyfte, the only Sun Devil on last season's roster to start every game in 2019-20, made her 2021-22 debut in the season's eighth game after not having played since the 2020-21 season opener. She has started every game she has played in – ASU's last 13 games – and is shooting 62.5 pct (20-32 FGs) from the floor... With ASU up by one point, took a charge in the final seconds of ASU's 81-77 win upset of No. 6 Arizona (Feb. 11).
• After starting the first seven games, Maggie Besselink missed ASU's next six games due to injury. She returned to action vs. Colorado (Jan. 21) before missing ASU's contest vs. Oregon State (Feb. 4) and, after returning vs. Oregon (Feb. 6), was out vs. Arizona (Feb. 6). In per-game averages, Besselink is 2nd on the team in rebounds (5.3 rpg) and offensive rebounds (2.3 rpg). Her career-high 15 rebounds in the season's second game vs. Minnesota are the most by a Sun Devil this season. Besselink started 14 of the 18 games she played in last season and led the team in rebounds (5.7 rpg/16th in the Pac-12).
• Ayzhiana Basallo is currently second on the team in 3-point FG pct. (37.8), 3rd in 3-pointers (17) and 4th in assists (1.6 apg). She scored 7 of her 10 points in the 3rd quarter of ASU's win over Oregon (Feb. 6).  
• Katelyn Levings (one start) is tied for 2nd on the team in blocks (0.7 bpg), is 3rd in offensive rebounds (1.3 rpg), tied 3rd in rebounds (3.6 rpg) and and is shooting 86 percent (12-14) from the free throw line. 
• Gabriela Bosquez (one start) is 5th on team in steals/0.5 spg and assists/1.1 apg and is shooting 83 pct/10-12 from the line.
• Sydney Erikstrup has played in every game and scored a career-high 8 points vs. Marist (Nov. 21). 
• Imogen Greenslade is tied for 4th in blocks (0.4 bpg), is 5th in offensive rebounds (1.0 rpg) and is shooting 51 percent from the floor. She grabbed career-high 11 rebounds in ASU's win vs. Harvard.
 
SEASON SUMMARY
• The first month of the season was punctuated by a challenging schedule for a team not only getting used to playing with one another, but also adjusting to the personnel it did not have due to injuries. Freshman post Meg Newman – one of the nation's most sought after players and ranked No. 6 at her position by ESPN.com – was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury during preseason practices. In addition, Isadora Sousa, another exciting newcomer, missed most of preseason workouts due to injury. 
• ASU opened the 2021-22 season splitting its first two contests, defeating Northern Colorado 71-41 (Nov. 9) before falling to Minnesota 66-59 in OT (Nov. 12). Loville (16.5 ppg) & Hanson (12.0 ppg) both averaged double figures in scoring in the two games. Gilles averaged 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rebs, 4.0 blocks and 3.0 steals. Besselink had a career-high 15 rebounds vs. Minnesota.
• Despite a strong defensive effort, ASU was not able to overcome shooting 30 percent in a 55-44 loss at BYU (Nov. 17).
• Coming off a 13-percent (3-24) outing from long range at BYU, ASU came within one 3-pointer of tying the single-game school record after hitting 13 in an 82-53 win over Marist (Nov. 21). Ten of its triples came during a first half in which it shot a blistering 59 percent from beyond the arc.
• ASU went 1-2 at the Cancun Challenge played on Thanksgiving weekend. ASU started the tourney with setbacks against Houston (68-60) & No. 6 Baylor 62-52. In both contests, the Sun Devils fought back to get within single digits after trailing by double-figures. In the final of the three games it played in three days, ASU defeated Fordham 58-43. The Sun Devils entered the game with a record of 2-4. The win over the Rams started a sequence in which the Sun Devils went 7-1 over their next eight games.
• ASU swept its home tournament, the ASU Classic, defeating UTSA (68-44) & Harvard (91-54) to extend its winning streak to three games. Loville (13.0 ppg), Gilles (11.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.5 spg) and Basallo (10.0 ppg, 3.0 apg) were ASU's top contributors. Gabriela Bosquez (career-high nine points) and Imogen Greenslade (career-high 11 rebounds) both had strong outings against Harvard.
• Despite a career-high 18 points from Gilles, ASU had its three-game winning streak snapped at Creighton, 69-62 (Dec. 12). ASU shot 47 pct for the game, its third straight contest shooting 45 pct or higher. ASU doubled up Creighton in scoring (24-12) in the third quarter to take a five-point lead going the final frame. Creighton outscored ASU 28-16 over the last 10 minutes – the most points scored by an ASU opponent in a quarter this season – to come back and claim the win. 
• On Dec. 18, Loville became the fourth Sun Devil women's basketball player to score 30 or more points since 2000, as the 2021 All-Mountain West honoree dropped 34 points (most in the Pac-12 as of Jan. 31) in ASU's 79-60 win over San Diego.
• ASU was originally scheduled to open Pac-12 play with contests at UCLA (Dec. 31) & at USC (Jan. 2). On Dec. 24, it was announced the first half of ASU's road trip to Los Angeles had been postponed. ASU announced on Dec. 28 it reached an agreement to play Lipscomb on Dec. 30 in Tempe (ASU won 70-54). On Dec. 29, it was announced the second half of ASU's trip to the City of Angles would not be happening, either. ASU also had its next four contests – vs. UW and WSU, at UO and OSU – postponed.
• Coming off an unplanned period of just over three weeks without playing a game, ASU started Pac-12 play – the final Pac-12 team to start league play – with a 57-52 overtime upset of No. 22 Colorado (Jan. 21). It followed that with a 72-63 loss at home to Utah, a game in which ASU nearly came up with what would have been the second-largest comeback in NCAA Division I history. Trailing by 29 points with two minutes remaining in the second quarter, ASU fought back to get within six points with just over two minutes remaining.
• Playing for only the fourth time in 37 days, the Sun Devils fell at No. 2 and defending national champion Stanford 78-40 on Jan. 28. ASU was not able to play the second game it had scheduled while in the Bay Area after its game at Cal (Jan. 30) had to be postponed.
• In their first opportunity to make up one of their seven postponements, the Sun Devils came up on the wrong end of a 72-58 decision at No. 19 Oregon (Feb. 1). Mael Gilles came through with one of her best all-around games of the season with team highs in points (15), rebounds (7) and assists (career high-tying 5 assists). Trailing by three points entering the fourth quarter, ASU was outscored 23-12 in the final 10 minutes.
• ASU entered its contest vs. third-place Oregon State (Feb. 4) having lost its last three games. The Sun Devils would respond to the challenge as Loville scored 19 of her game-high 33 points in the second half and Hanson knocked down six consecutive free throws with 17 seconds remaining to help ASU defeat the Beavers 67-57. The Sun Devils then evened the score with Oregon, upsetting the No. 19 Ducks 55-49 (Feb. 6). Loville scored 12 of her 16 points in the 2nd half and Basallo chipped in seven of her 10 points in the 3rd quarter.
• Loville (27 points, season high 8 rebounds), Hanson (season-high 19 points) and Mael Gilles (career-high 19 points/10 rebounds) combined for 65 points in ASU's upset sixth-ranked Arizona 81-77 (Feb. 11). It was their 3rd Top 25 win of the season and its second in as many games, after defeating then-No. 19 Oregon 55-49 on Feb. 6.