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ASU Basketball: Sun Devils close out regular season versus No. 12 Oregon State

By Alex Weiner

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 hosts No. 12 Oregon State in the regular season finale after the Sun Devils lost the first meeting in Corvallis 57-54.

Arizona State takes on 12th-ranked Oregon State to end the regular season at home on Sunday.

The Sun Devils fell to the Beavers 57-54 in a back-and-forth contest in Corvallis in January. Oregon State outshot ASU by nearly 20 percent while out-rebounding the Devils 36-28.

What kept ASU close was the turnover margin as the Sun Devils forced 15 turnovers and only gave the ball up four times.

This is still an area where Arizona State can take advantage. Oregon State is last in the Pac-12 in turnover margin.

However, the Beavers come into Tempe with lots of momentum, having won six straight games. They also haven’t lost on the road since Jan. 21.

With one game left, Oregon State has the best scoring defense and the most rebounds in the Pac-12. They also score the third most points-per-game and lead the conference in three-point percentage.

They are tough to defend. ASU will need to defend the perimeter effectively as the Sun Devils’ three-point percentage defense is the third best in the conference. If ASU can take away a huge part of the Beaver offense, then they have a chance to throw off their game.

The other way ASU can take advantage of Oregon State is by forcing turnovers. This is OSU’s biggest weakness, a weakness so large that ASU nearly beat the Beavers despite being outplayed in basically all other aspects of the game in January.

Next: ASU Basketball: Sun Devils fall to Oregon at home

Regardless of what Sunday’s outcome is, ASU will most likely not be ranked after the season. But, the Devils should be in the NCAA Tournament with a similar seed as last year, depending on the results of the Pac-12 Tournament. A win against a top team to end the regular season would be a major confidence boost for this squad before they go off to Seattle.