In the final stretch of the season, ASU basketball is coming from a much needed win against USC and looking for another as they face UCLA in Tempe for the final game of the season.
Last time the two faced off, ASU had been dominated the entire game but had a late fourth quarter rally that just wasn’t enough to get the victory.
UCLA is coming off a win against Arizona, continuing their winning streak of three games. The Bruins sank 46 percent of their field goals, but didn’t have as much luck from the three-point line only making six of 22 attempts.
They still managed to beat the Wildcats by 20 points, but a win may not come quite as easily against ASU. Though a lack of three-pointers made from UCLA won’t affect them much against the Devils, if ASU can shut down their drives in the paint it could cause other problems.
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ASU is known in the Pac-12 for having one of the best three-point defenses, yet can’t seem to guard well in the paint. The fatigue experienced by the young team late in the season has only weakened their defending on opposing drives in the paint and costed them games this season.
With the defensive presence of senior Kelsey Moos back for ASU, she has already proved to be a huge asset in guarding on drives. As long as she can stay on her game and her teammates can keep up with the quick tempo UCLA plays by, there is a chance of the Sun Devils ending on a high note.
Despite a stronger defensive presence, the Sun Devils continuously experience major inconsistencies with their shooting. Last time they faced UCLA, they shot a mere 36 percent of their field goals and 20 percent from behind the arc. For a win today, the Devils need to remain consistent with their shots on both sides of the three-point line.
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Tipoff is at 12 p.m. MST in the Wells Fargo Arena and the game can be streamed live on Pac-12 Network.