ASU Basketball: Sun Devils open Pac-12 play against Colorado
By Carson Field
After a 9-3 start to the season in the non-conference portion of the schedule, the ASU women’s basketball team opens its Pac-12 season tomorrow against Colorado.
It was a turbulent start, but after 12 games, the Sun Devils are in a good position for success.
The ASU women’s basketball team opens up conference play Friday against the Colorado Buffaloes. In the non-conference portion of the schedule, Arizona State went 9-3, finishing on a two-game winning streak with wins against Idaho and Arkansas.
The team had a field day against SEC-opponent Arkansas in the team’s last non-conference contest, winning the game by a score of 89-43.
The team was led by UConn transfer Courtney Ekmark, who struggled to begin the season. Ekmark scored 23 points and knocked down seven threes in the win.
Because of the strong start to the season, the Sun Devils are one of 10 teams in the Pac-12 with nine or more wins.
Colorado also recorded nine wins in the non-conference, and they only lost twice. The two losses, against North Carolina and Dartmouth, were both decided by single digits.
Kennedy Leonard is a key player for the Colorado squad averaging 15.5 points and seven assists per game. Her highest-scoring game this year came when she shot 8-for-16 from the field and recorded 26 points against George Mason on Nov. 25.
To start conference play 1-0, the Sun Devils will have to contest the Colorado frontcourt, which leads the conference in rebounds per game with 47.3. ASU should rival CU’s offensive board because the Sun Devils are third in the conference in rebounds allowed with 31.9 per game.
Charnea Johnson-Chapman is a key for ASU in this game against a scrappy Colorado team, as she is the team leader in rebounds with 7.3 boards per game.
Next: ASU Basketball: Lethal three-point shooting leads Sun Devils’ rout of Arkansas
Friday’s game against the Buffaloes will begin at 7 p.m. MT and the game can be seen on the Pac-12 Arizona.