There are few certainties in a rivalry game. However, one thing is certain about the upcoming Territorial Cup between ASU women's basketball and rival Arizona: It will be competitive.
The Sun Devils come into the game ranked No. 8 in the country at 15-3, riding a 12-game winning streak that includes eight victories by double digits. Arizona, on the other hand, has struggled early on in the Pac-12 with an 11-7 overall record (2-4 in conference play). The Wildcats have yet to beat a ranked team.
But don't let the records of these two teams fool you — Arizona will undoubtedly be playing up to the level of its competition this weekend.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said the Wildcats have a lot of similarities to this Sun Devil team, including depth across positions and discipline on the defensive side. That depth is evidenced by juniors LaBrittney Jones and Malena Washington, who are the team's leading scorers despite only starting seven and three games, respectively.
"(Arizona is) playing every bit the rotation we're playing, and they're balanced like we are," Turner Thorne said. "They're a really good transition team and really good rebounding team, which kind of defines every team in our conference."
While the Pac-12 makes its case for the deepest conference in women's college basketball, the Wildcats still find themselves in the bottom third of that pack. An inability to effectively score the ball has made it difficult for Arizona to gain any traction in such a stacked conference — they average a mere 59 points per game.
ASU only allows 51.9 points per game, 10th best in the country.
Turner Thorne mentioned that the Wildcats like to get up and down the floor and play the transition game, but that plays into the hand of the Sun Devils, who score just under 65 points per game and thrive when their offense plays with pace.
Turner Thorne said she thinks that recent success, along with being the highest ranked team in the conference, has put a target on ASU's back. She said this is the situation her team envisioned from the get-go, despite the 3-3 start to the season.
"We absolutely know that we're going to get everybody's best effort," Turner Thorne said. "I don't think most teams prepare quite as much and as intensely as we do."
While that statement from Turner Thorne is evidenced by her team's impressive record, the Sun Devils haven't had to prepare for a task like this in recent memory: play their rival twice in three days in a home-and-home series.
Unusual as this situation may be within a gauntlet of a conference schedule, Turner Thorne is confident in the current state of this ASU group.
"Right now we're kind of a well-oiled machine," Turner Thorne said. "As soon as the game is over (the players) want scout for the next game and film sent to them. They're very locked into the idea of 'who's next?'"
Tipoff for game one of ASU vs. Arizona is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in Tempe, while the second installment of the Territorial Cup will be played on Sunday at 5 p.m. in Tucson.
Related Links:
Overcoming sickness and injury exemplifies Sophie Brunner's leadership
Sun Devil Snapshot: Soccer players drafted, women's basketball on a roll
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
