Redshirt senior center Joy Burke takes a layup during a practice at Weatherup Center in Tempe. The women's basketball team is playing its first away games this week in San Diego and Texas. (Photo by Arianna Grainey)
The ASU women’s basketball team (1-0) departs on its first road trip Wednesday, making stops in San Diego to play the Toreros and Lubbock, Texas to play the Lady Raiders of Texas Tech.
The two games represent the first big tests for a brand-new Sun Devil squad, and coach Charli Turner Thorne understands the importance of playing well in nonconference matches.
“We’re going to learn a lot about ourselves in these next two games,” Turner Thorne said. “Obviously it’s early, and we just need to keep learning and getting better.”
Wednesday, ASU will face San Diego (1-0), a team that handily defeated the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine in the first round of last year’s National Invitation Tournament.
ASU crushed the Rainbow Wahine in its first game of 2013-14, beating last year’s scoring high with 84 points.
Turner Thorne said the Toreros, who went 22-10 and 12-4 in the West Coast Conference last season, pose unique challenges for ASU.
“They return basically three to four starters, a core group,” Turner Thorne said. “They’re just really tough. They know who they are.”
She also said the Toreros will run traps on defense and play a physical man-to-man. In terms of the ASU defensive strategy, Turner Thorne didn’t want to reveal too much.
“We’re definitely going to mix our defenses up at times if we need to,” Turner Thorne said. “We kind of do what we do.”
Senior guard Amy Kame led the Torero squad in 2012-13, averaging 16.1 points per game. She also led the team in assists (119) and steals (78).
In the Toreros’ first game against Northern Colorado, Kame totaled 22 points and 9 rebounds.
Turner Thorne said the challenge against USD is continuing to adjust to the new rule changes.
“We’re really just working on playing great position defense without fouling,” Turner Thorne said. “We still have had too many fouls so far this year. Just adjusting to the officiating has been a big focus no matter what defense we play.”
Texas Tech (1-0) is under the direction of a new head coach, Candi Whitaker, who earned her first win in the program Nov. 10 at home against Texas Pan-American.
In that game, junior guard Amber Battle led the Lady Raiders, scoring 21 points in 33 minutes. She completed the double-double with 11 rebounds.
Whitaker returned to her alma mater and became the sixth coach in program history for the 2013-14 season.
“They have a new coach and a combination of core returners and new players,” Turner Thorne said. “It’s just a tough place to play.”
The Lady Raiders hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament last year but fell in the first round to No. 10 South Florida 70-71.
Wednesday’s game at San Diego starts at 6:15 p.m., and Sunday’s game at Texas Tech begins at 1:00 p.m.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott
