Devils in Detail
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ASU WBB: Arizona State vs. Holy Cross Preview

By Sam Ficarro

Feb 18, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky against the UCLA Bruins at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky against the UCLA Bruins at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Arizona State looks to finish the non-conference slate on a high note as they put their six-game winning streak on the line Wednesday versus Holy Cross.

The 8-2 Sun Devils are coming off a convincing 79-52 win versus Oral Roberts Saturday. ASU led from start to finish as every Sun Devil scored in the game. Forward Sophie Brunner led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Reili Richardson continues to perform filling in for the injured Kiara Russell as she finished with 11 points and 7 assists. In total, Arizona State held Oral Roberts to 41 percent shooting and ASU out-rebounded ORU 43-16.

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The Sun Devils will look to replicate their success from Saturday’s game versus Holy Cross Wednesday. The Crusaders are off to a rough start to the season as they are 2-8, including a 69-65 loss at UMass Sunday. Holy Cross is led by junior guard Infiniti Thomas-Waheed and freshman forward Lauren Manis. Thomas-Waheed is averaging 14.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds a game, while Manis is averaging 11.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG. Holy Cross has struggled shooting the basketball this season as they are averaging 58.2 PPG on 36 percent shooting. That should play to the Sun Devils’ strengths as Arizona State allows only 55.2 PPG and boasts the nation’s top-ranked three-point defense as opponents shoot 21.5 percent.

This appears to be a mismatch on paper, but the Sun Devils have to be careful to not overlook Holy Cross with Pac-12 play on the horizon. The Sun Devils will look to force Holy Cross into poor shot selection, force turnovers and capitalize off them as the Crusaders average 18.4 turnovers per game. Sun Devils will look to neutralize Manis in the paint and force the Crusaders to shooting from outside the paint. It will be important for Arizona State to rebound the ball and not give the Crusaders second chance opportunities. If the game does get out of hand, Arizona State will be able to give all players valuable minutes as head coach Charli Turner Thorne will likely have tighter rotations once conference play begins.

Next: ASU WBB: The Sun Devils Take Care of Oral Roberts

Tip off is set for 5 p.m. MST and the game can been seen on the ASU Live Stream.