ASU women to play before 22,000 at Kentucky on Sunday
Kentucky women's basketball sent most of the 4,500 on hand for Arizona State's season opener last season home disappointed.
ASU gets the chance to deflate a crowd close to five times that size Sunday when it takes on No. 15 Kentucky in a "Pack the House" game expected to draw more than 22,000 to Rupp Arena.
Kentucky has averaged more than 6,000 for the last six seasons playing mainly at Memorial Coliseum. The Wildcats twice have topped 20,000 at Rupp Arena – 23,705 vs. Duke in December 2013 and 22,075 vs. Baylor in November 2014. ASU's attendance high was 16,782 against Tennessee at Chase Field in December 2000.
So the Sun Devils (5-2) will likely be playing before their largest crowd ever, looking for a second straight win over a Top 25 opponent after rallying to beat then-No. 19 Florida 69-63 on Dec. 4. Kentucky (7-2) is coming off a 61-48 win (with a 44-22 rebounding edge) Friday over Middle Tennessee. The Wildcats have wins over No. 14 Miami (82-66) and No. 19 Oklahoma (82-68) and an overtime loss to No. 8 Louisville (69-67).
ASU and Kentucky went into overtime last season, with the Wildcats prevailing 68-64 at Wells Fargo Arena.
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Both return key players – Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder, Kelsey Moos for ASU; Makayla Epps, Evelyn Akrator, Maci Morris, Taylor Murray for Kentucky – but there are important differences, too. The Sun Devils are going through a learning curve with their young backcourt, and the Wildcats are regrouping under 10th-year coach Matthew Mitchell after an unusually large number of player, staff and recruit losses.
Moos came close to a triple-double (11 points, eight rebounds, career-high eight assists) against Florida, while sophomore forward Kianna Ibis had 12 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Both are important in making the Sun Devils bigger, more versatile and deeper.
"I'm catching to shoot better than I was last year, so people have to play me more then that opens it up inside," said the 6-0 Moos, more assured in her second season on the perimeter. "Also Florida was zoning us, so the middle was really open, so I just tried to get it to the posts inside."
The 6-1Ibis played last season coming off major knee surgery then had arthroscopic surgery in the offseason. She receives periodic cortisone shots in her right knee to help with pain and swelling but is healthy enough to make an increasingly greater contribution.
"I know I need to step up. My role is bigger this year," Ibis said. "I need to make big plays for our team. This year, my knee is a lot better. I do have some limitations (in practice to minimize wear on her knee). I feel a lot more comfortable. One year of experience is actually a lot. Freshman year I felt a little frazzled. I just wasn't as confident. I feel a lot more relaxed on the floor."
ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne likes the Sun Devils' improvement in three wins since an 83-42 loss to No. 4 Maryland and expects them to rise to the occasion. Kentucky lost 79-69 at No. 18 Colorado on Nov. 19, so there also is a Pac-12 comparison angle.
"They're more of a zone team this year," Turner Thorne said. "They're still incredibly efficient offensively and statistically doing a great job with their defense. They just are doing it differently. They're very similar to Washington. They have their superstar (Epps), but everybody really plays their role well."
Sunday's game
Arizona State at Kentucky
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
TV: SEC Network.
Radio: KDUS-AM (1060).
ASU: Sophomore guard Armani Hawkins is transferring after this semester. She played in six of the first seven games, averaging 3.2 points and 7.3 minutes. Her departure leaves ASU with 12 players. This trip concludes with a game Tuesday at Middle Tennessee (2-4). ASU beat Middle Tennessee 81-67 in Tempe to open the 2014-15 season. The Sun Devils are second among other receiving votes in the AP top 25 and No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll.
Kentucky: Senior G Makayla Epps is two-time All-SEC first team and scored 20 points last season against ASU. She is the only player in school history with at least 500 points and 100 assists in two consecutive seasons. Kentucky was 25-8 last season, reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before a 85-72 loss to Washington. Former Arizona head coach Niya Butts is now a Kentucky assistant.