The ASU women’s basketball team will play its only exhibition game of the 2009-2010 season Thursday night when it takes on Vanguard at Wells Fargo Arena.

This will be the first chance for fans to see the new-look Sun Devil squad, which is ranked 16th in The Associated Press’ preseason poll despite losing six seniors from last year’s team and starting point guard Dymond Simon because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.

“They’re young [and] they’re just learning how to empty out Sun Devil style,” ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “They’re really still learning how hard we want them to work.”

ASU is coming off its second Elite Eight appearance in three years and returns two starters from last year’s team in senior guard Danielle Orsillo and senior forward Kayli Murphy.

Vanguard is ranked No. 2 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and has been visiting NCAA Division I teams for exhibition contests during the past week. The Golden Lions dropped a 107-49 decision to No. 2 Stanford on Sunday before posting an 81-78 win over San Francisco on Monday and a 101-81 loss to No. 18 California on Tuesday.

“Vanguard gave Cal all they wanted,” Turner Thorne said. “They’re a very good team, so it’s not like we necessarily expect to blow them out.

Obviously, we hope to outwork them and beat them and do well, but I think we really need to try to feel good about our defensive effort.”

The Sun Devils will open their regular season on Nov. 15 when they host South Dakota State.