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ASU Basketball: Sun Devils head to the Bay for final road trip

By Adam Noel

TEMPE, AZ - AUGUST 28: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot, "Sparky" performs during the college football game against the Weber State Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on August 28, 2014 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 45-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - AUGUST 28: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot, "Sparky" performs during the college football game against the Weber State Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on August 28, 2014 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 45-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Winners of their last five games, ASU basketball looks to continue that streak against Cal and No. 7 Stanford hoping to improve their resume.

Arizona State sits in a very favorable position entering the final two weeks of the regular season.

The No. 17 Sun Devils rank fourth in the Pac-12 and are positioned to clinch a top seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. If the team closes the season on a positive note, there is also the chance for ASU to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

But one final obstacle sits in front of the Sun Devils.

Over the final two weeks of the regular season, they face off with three top-25 conference foes, including a final homestand against No. 12 Oregon St. and No. 2 Oregon. This weekend the Sun Devils travel on the road to take on California and No. 7 Stanford.

Here’s what to look out for this weekend for ASU hoops.

Cal

The Golden Bears (14-11, 5-9 Pac-12) currently sit at ninth in the conference, but don’t let the numbers fool you.

Cal boasts one of the top frontcourts in the nation, led by senior Kristine Anigwe. Anigwe leads the country in rebounding (15.7) and ranks seventh in scoring (23.3), with her name being mentioned among early WNBA prospects.

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The 6-foot-4, Phoenix native has recorded a double-double in all 25 of Cal’s games, a clip that also ranks first in the country.

Last time the Sun Devils faced Cal, Anigwe struggled from the field, but made her presence on the glass known finishing with 16 rebounds.

It was in that game, that took a late free throw from Reili Richardson, to finally put ASU over the top. The Sun Devils snuck a 62-61 home victory away from the Golden Bears.

Although the Sun Devils took home a win, it was also one of the few times the team has been outrebounded by an opponent this season.

Last week, Cal suffered two losses to USC (86-76) and UCLA (80-74), extending their current losing streak to five in conference play.

But despite the losses, the Golden Bears shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Stanford

The Cardinal is a tall test from the top to bottom. Stanford (21-4, 11-3 Pac-12) currently sits at second in the conference and has blown away recent competition winning its first seven conference games.

On offense, Stanford has three players over 13 points per game with senior Alanna Smith leading the team (20.3). Smith also leads the team in three-point percentage (41.7) and is averaging 8.2 rebounds a game.

The Cardinal as a whole is averaging 76.8 points a game, while holding opponents to only 63.0 points per game on 36.5 percent shooting from the field.

Stanford is among the six that beat ASU this season, as the team defeated the Sun Devils 72-65 on Jan. 11.

In that matchup, the Cardinal held ASU to one the team’s worst performances from deep (21.1 percent) and forced 13 Sun Devil turnovers.

Last week, Stanford swept fellow California schools UCLA (65-51) and USC (69-67) and are winners in four of the team’s last five games.

The Cardinal is the first of three straight ranked opponents for the Devils and should be toughest opponent for ASU over the past month.

Next. ASU Basketball: Robbi Ryan’s emergence as a defensive leader. dark

The Sun Devils kickoff the weekend on Friday taking on Cal at 8 p.m. MT. before facing Stanford Sunday at 2 p.m. MT.