Devils in Detail
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ASU Basketball: Sun Devils prepare for lone meeting with Washington

By Sam Ficarro

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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ASU women’s basketball returns home looking to pick up a pair of wins against the Washington schools with the Huskies first up Friday night.

ASU women’s basketball, after earning a split of the Bay Area schools last weekend, return to Tempe to begin a stretch of five of eight home games to close out the regular season.

Arizona State is coming off their best defensive performance of the season with a 57-42 win over California.

The Sun Devils got out to a 14-0 lead as the Golden Bears didn’t record their first point of the game until there was 2:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Forward Courtney Ekmark led the way for the Sun Devils recording 12 points and eight rebounds with forward Kianna Ibis right behind her with 11 points and eight rebounds.

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Guard Robbi Ryan and forward Jamie Ruden tallied nine points each in the win as the Sun Devils led from start-to-finish.

Coming in to Tempe Friday are the Washington Huskies, who sit at 7-14 and tied for last in the Pac-12 standings with a 1-9 conference record under first-year head coach Jody Wynn.

This is a drastically different team from the past couple of years as Washington’s highly-successful trio of guard Kelsey Plum, forward Chantel Osahor and head coach Mike Neighbors al have left the program.

Along with players transferring, Wynn has inherited an unproven team that is still looking to get its footing in Pac-12 play.

Sophomore guard Amber Melgoza is Washington’s most productive player, and will be a likely All-Pac-12 play, averaging a team-high 17.6 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Washington’s lone win in conference play was on Jan. 21 versus Washington State 56-49 behind Melgoza’s 14 points and forward Hannah Johnson and guard Jenna Moser combining for 23 points.

Arizona State, who have struggled to put up points in recent weeks, should have success against the Huskies who feature the worst scoring defense in the Pac-12 allowing 75.1 points per game.

Both teams are pretty close in scoring offense with Arizona State ranked sixth averaging 70.3 points per game and Washington ranked eighth averaging 69.8 points per game.

If the Sun Devils, behind their best scoring defense in the league, can limit Melgoza’s production it should result in a comfortable win for the Sun Devils.

Next: ASU Basketball: Sun Devils earn needed bounce-back win at Cal

Arizona State will look to keep pace in the Pac-12 standings as they sit tied for fifth. Tip-off of Washington-Arizona State is at 8 p.m. MT and it can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona.