Big Home Stand Upcoming for Slumping Sun Devils
In our weekly women’s hoops update, the Sun Devils head into Pac-10 play on a bit of a skid. It doesn’t get any easier this weekend with a pair of Top 15 teams visiting Tempe.
Last week (0-1, 8-4 overall): Nebraska 62, ASU 58
What We Learned: First and foremost, that starting point guard Dymond Simon‘s foot injury isn’t serious. After missing the Sun Devils’ home win over Xavier on Dec. 21, Simon, the team’s second-leading scorer, returned to the lineup for their Dec. 28 game against Nebraska and scored 12 points and recorded five assists.
Unfortunately, Simon’s performance came in a game in which the Sun Devils could’ve (should’ve?) won but didn’t. Nebraska took its first lead with less than three minutes remaining in the second half. The loss marked a disappointing end to ASU’s non-conference schedule and left the Sun Devils lacking a signature road victory on the season; they had a chance to beat No. 5 Texas two weeks ago in Austin, but let a lead slip away in that one, too.
Star of the Week: Danielle Orsillo, who starts alongside Simon and Briann January in the Sun Devils’ three-headed backcourt, had a fine game against the Cornhuskers, leading the team with 16 points. She shot 7-of-11 from the field and added four rebounds and two steals.
Orsillo, a redshirt junior, played well during her freshman and sophomore seasons and was expected to be an integral component of last season’s squad before undergoing season-ending knee surgery that limited her to just one game. She’s healthy now, and thriving – she averages 8 points per game, fourth on the team, is hitting 40 percent of her 3-point attempts and is one of the team’s better defenders.
What’s Next: Pac-10 play. The Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 24 in last week’s AP poll but fell out following their loss to Nebraska, will open their conference slate against two ranked teams from the Bay Area at Wells Fargo Arena – No. 11 Stanford on Jan. 2 and No. 13 Cal two days later.
The Cardinal (9-3) have won the last eight Pac-10 regular-season titles and come into the ASU contest ranked No. 11 in the country. Stanford’s strength on offense is balance – the Cardinal feature five players who average double figured in scoring, led by post Jayne Appel (14.3 ppg). On defense, they’re allowing their opponents just 57.6 points per game.
Cal (11-2) has one of the best players in the country in senior post Ashley Walker, a two-time All-American who is averaging 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season.
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I know that I sound like a broken record … there is nobody on this team who can take over a game. Until that happens ASU is going to have to be content with having a good, but not great, program.
And it ain’t going to happen until CTT changes her system such that it is accomodating of a star player. [And we all know that will never happen]
@ David, not a broken record. Your input is appreciated. I’m definitely a little worried about the team right now. This is a HUGE weekend for the Lady Devils.
I like her (CTT) idea about keeping fresh legs in the game but maybe if a player is in a scoring run she might want to let the chemistry of that group play a little longer.
What ASU needed with an 11 point lead and 17 minutes to play was someone who can take over a game. CTT doesn’t have that player – never has and never will.
@David, the women seem to be struggling to hold leads. This isn’t the first time they’ve surrendered a comeback.
I’m not terribly familiar with Briann January’s game, but isn’t she supposed to be a big WNBA prospect? You’d think she’d be a go-to player.