It’s time to bounce back. After a tough loss on the road, there is no better place to come than back home.
The ASU women’s basketball team was handed their second loss of the season last weekend against No. 21 ranked DePaul. They now return home to face Army and begin a refreshing five game home stand.
Army comes into their matchup in Tempe also on a losing streak, but theirs is a lot more serious than the Sun Devils’, having lost three games in a row. ASU is looking to get back on a winning streak and hand Army their fourth loss.
Three different players have provided consistent offensive production for the Black Knights so far this season.
In the backcourt, junior guards Molly Yardly and Anna Simmers both average over ten points per game.
Down low, junior guard/forward Jen Hazlett leads the team in scoring averaging 12.4 points. The Black Knights have strong scorers that can attack from any point on the floor.
For ASU, the team has not found out who their top scorer of the season is so far. Each night a different Sun Devil has stepped up for the team.
In the last couple games, the post players have led ASU. Against DePaul, redshirt junior forward Janae Fulcher had one of her best games.
Against a smaller Army frontcourt, the ASU forwards should have a nice advantage in the post. Look for Fulcher to respond again and other ASU forwards like senior Kali Bennet, freshman Jada Blackwell and senior Kimberly Brandon to have good performances.
In the Sun Devils last game, they took on a very high octane DePaul offense. The Blue Demons shot 46 percent and rolled on to beat ASU.
The Sun Devils’ defense will be looking to respond in this game against Army. The Black Knights have struggled so far this season to put the ball in the basket. So far they have averaged shooting 38.6 percent from the field.
The Sun Devils do have their work cut out for them on the offensive side of the ball. The Black Knights’ opponents average 34.9 percent from the field this season.
All season long, the Sun Devils have talked about how important it is to them to protect their home court.
Heading into this weekend, ASU has yet to lose at home. The Sun Devils hope to keep the home win streak alive and rebound against the Black Knights to gain some momentum heading into the home stand.
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
