(Photo: Brooke Faber/WCSN)
Our writers take one last look at the UALR game and ASU’s chances against Florida State. In addition to answering the overwhelmingly existential, and in this case perfectly practical question, is this the end?
-Gavin Schall
1. What was the most impressive aspect of the Arkansas Little Rock win?
Drew Martin: The UALR game was pretty rough to watch—at least early on. The Sun Devils went 6-28 from the field in the first half and fell behind by nine at halftime, so obviously it wasn’t the kind of start that they wanted, but the way that ASU was able to pull it together on both sides of the ball to pull off an incredible comeback was extremely impressive. Arizona State shot 15-28 in the second half including a 24-8 run over the last nine minutes of the game to claim a 57-54 victory. This wasn’t a one hit wonder either, these Sun Devils have shown their ability to keep fighting and never quit on a game, and it’s paid off.
Tyler Strachan: They played some good defense. Yes, in the wake of a miserable first half and the fact that they only led Arkansas Little-Rock for a little over a minute, ASU was able to keep the game within reach by effectively shutting down the Trojans’ offensive attack. A 26-17 first half deficit isn’t pretty, but it does show that even when their shots aren’t falling, the Sun Devils are still making the effort to get back and perform on the defensive end. Arizona State has excelled at perimeter defense throughout this season and it showed up in this game. UALR was able to knock down just one three pointer, compiling an 11% shooting percentage from behind the arc. The athletic Trojans however, were able to slash and get to the basket quite effectively, something that we know Florida State will try to exploit on Friday.
Terra Pinckley: The UALR game wasn’t necessarily an impressive game for ASU, seeing as they only led for a total of 1:13, but again you could argue that leading at the end of the game is all that matters. The most impressive thing to come out of the game was something we’ve seen from ASU all season—they won’t quit. The Sun Devils have seen themselves in hole after hole but always fight back to at least get within shooting distance. The 24-8 run ASU went on with nine minutes left in the game was just another example of that. Being able to come back from another double digit deficit is something that is reassuring and troublesome at the same time. ASU probably shouldn’t have been in that hole to begin with, but being able to climb out of it is equally telling.
2. What was your biggest concern emerging from that game?
Drew Martin: While that comeback in the UALR game was definitely impressive, it raised some major concerns with ASU’s ability to play a complete game of basketball. An absolutely pitiful display of offense in the first half from every Sun Devil not named Promise Amukamara created a relatively large hole that ASU was forced to climb out of, and while they were able to pull it off against UALR, it won’t be the same ball game against an elite team like Florida State. Arizona State has struggled with showing up in both halves all season long, but have benefitted from just being more talented than the teams they’ve played. The Seminoles are the no. 7 team in the country and have no shortage of talent, so I’m definitely concerned about whether or not the Sun Devils will show up for 40 minutes.
Tyler Strachan: Honestly it’s going to be pretty tough to choose because I was certainly left with a multitude of concerns after that performance. You could look at the awful start that Sun Devils had, trailing by nine going into the locker room after putting up just 17 points on 20% shooting in the first half. One could also point to the fact that the only reason Arizona State had the opportunity to win this game was because of the actions of some being from above that guided a 30 foot prayer off the hands of Elisha Davis into the hoop. All in all it was not the type of game you wanted to see from ASU just before venturing to North Carolina to face one of the top teams in the country. But a win is a win and for ASU’s sake, hopefully they’ll be able to solve their offensive issues before Friday.
Terra Pinckley: My biggest concern coming out of the UALR game is the horrendous shooting in the paint we saw early on in the matchup, and it didn’t get much better as the game went on, until ASU went on their run. The Sun Devils only had eight points in the paint in the first half, despite a ton of offensive rebounds. Granted there were some unfair rolls here and there, but more often than not, ASU was just shooting at weird angles or missing wide open shots in the paint, something that would certainly drive coach crazy. The second half was a bit better with 20 points coming from the paint, but a majority of those came from the run with nine minutes left. ASU needs to get in a groove earlier on in the game, and making shots in the paint will help with that.
3. What’s the matchup to watch against Florida State?
Drew Martin: I absolutely love a good perimeter matchup, so the matchup that I’m looking forward to the most is Arizona State senior Promise Amukamara against the Florida State backcourt. Amukamara has been the premier defensive player for the Sun Devils all season long, drawing the matchup with the opponent’s top perimeter player every game, but it’s hard to peg who exactly she’ll be matched up with in this game. Ivey Slaughter, the likely matchup, is a 6-foot-1 forward for the Seminoles who is talented on the offensive end averaging 11.1 points per game, but she has a pretty big size advantage on the 5-foot-8 Amukamara. Senior guard Maegan Conwright averages 11.7 points per game and is the same height as Amukamara, but because of how much bigger Florida State’s lineup is as a whole, she might have to be matched up with ASU guard Elisha Davis. No matter which matchup Amukamara draws, it is sure to be an interesting one to watch.
Tyler Strachan: I’m going to have to agree with Terra on this one. For what is probably the first time this year, Promise Amukamara will be unable to guard her opponent’s best player. Bulgak is a phenomenal scorer and rebounder, who is up for All-America honors for her fantastic play in the 2015 season. ASU’s frontcourt hasn’t faced a player that combines size and athleticism like Bulgak, and it will be interesting to see what scheme Charli Turner-Thorne draws up to counter her. Whether it’s with double teams or by slotting the rangy Quinn Dornstauder to guard her, you can bet that finding a way to slow down Bulgak has been one of the main focuses of Arizona State’s preparation for this game.
Terra Pinckley: There are several matchups I’m intrigued with during this game, Promise Amukamara will probably be covering Ivey Slaughter, which should be a heck of a matchup, but I’m more interested in seeing how ASU’s bigs will be able to slow down Adut Bulgak, FSU’s 6-4 scoring machine. Bulgak is averaging 12.3 points per game and has a physical presence as a center that I’m not sure ASU has seen this season. The only Arizona State post player that is as tall as Bulgak is Quinn Dornstauder at 6’4, but Bulgak is considerably faster than Dornstauder. It’s very easy to lose Bulgak on the court as she moves around with ease and is excellent at finding the open spot in a defense. This will also be a huge matchup when it comes to rebounding, seeing that Bulgak averages 9.7 rebounds per game, an area where ASU has had trouble as of late. The Bulgak vs. ASU’s post matchup may determine the outcome of this game.
4. When does ASU’s season end?
Drew Martin: I’m going to play the Devil’s advocate here (pun intended) and say that the Sun Devils will pull off the upset and beat Florida State to advance to the Elite Eight. UALR gave ASU all that they could handle, but the resiliency and defensive presence of this team gives me reason to believe that they can win this game. While I originally picked ASU to advance to the Final Four, I no longer believe that they’d be able to win what would more than likely be a matchup with 1-seed South Carolina, but I do believe that they have the ability to make it there. Just as I said in my preview, ASU wins it 62-60 to advance to their first Elite Eight since 2009.
Tyler Strachan: I’ve come to the conclusion that Friday’s contest will finish with Florida State advancing to the Elite Eight, while Arizona State heads back to Tempe earlier than wished. In Monday’s game against UALR, Trojan forward, Taylor Gault looked like she was on a whole other level of athleticism compared to every other player on the floor. Well, Florida State employs an entire starting five of Taylor Gault’s who can all get up and down the floor and finish at the rim with ease. Unless the Sun Devils can win the battle on the perimeter and force the Seminoles to operate in a half-court format, it’s going to be a long and tiresome night in Greensboro.
Terra Pinckley: The Sun Devils’ season ends tonight against FSU. The Seminoles are just too good at the areas where ASU is weakest. FSU should be able to heavily out rebound the Sun Devils, which will be significant determinant of who wins this game. ASU’s only chance is if they start scoring early and often, because FSU has five players that average in double digits, leading to the team averaging 75.9 points per game, compared to ASU’s 67.8. Florida State has a stingy defense as well, only allowing 56.4 points per game, and are by proxy averaging a 20 point margin of victory. I just don’t see Arizona State having enough players stepping up against FSU to secure the win. The Sun Devils tend to have one or two players at their best per game, and if they are to beat FSU, the team as a whole will need to be on point, and it probably won’t happen.
