ASU looks to carry momentum into the Briann January Classic

(Photo via Alyssa Buruato/WCSN)

This weekend, ASU women’s basketball will host the second annual Briann January Classic and will compete against Pacific (4-2) on Friday. On Saturday, the Sun Devils will play host to Xavier (0-6). 

Last week, ASU competed in the Paradise Jam and finished 2-1 in the three games played in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The Sun Devils had a rough start to the tournament, losing to No. 12 ranked Texas 84-42. Texas’s defense was on full display as ASU didn’t get a single 3-pointer to fall all game, but the Sun Devils bounced back in the next matchup with a 66-49 win against South Florida.

Senior guard Treasure Hunt and sophomore guard Jalyn Brown lead the way with 14 points apiece, as both continued to carry the offensive load in ASU’s final game against High Point. 

Against the Panthers, Brown led all scorers with 20 points on an impressive 81.43% true shooting clip, with Hunt following with 19 points and eight rebounds. Both of those stellar performances led the Sun Devils to a 77-69 victory over the Panthers.  

With a week to game plan and rest, ASU sizes up the Pacific Tigers for its first game of the weekend. The Tigers are coming off a 66-60 loss against UC Irvine last Saturday. 

Despite that loss, Pacific has found some early success to start the season, with five different players averaging double figures in points. 

Senior guard Liz Smith has led the way for her crew, averaging 14 points, four rebounds and five assists a game. Junior guard Anaya James has also been a reliable option for the Tigers, as she’s averaged 13 points, five rebounds and five assists on a night-to-night basis. Fifth-year forward Cecilia Holmberg has led the team in rebounding with just over six a game while also contributing 13 points a game as well.

Ninth-year head coach Bradley Davis has continued his high-tempo offensive formula, and it has fit his roster to a tee. The Tigers are shooting over 40 percent from the field, just over 80 percent from the line, and they are averaging about 68 points per game. Davis and his crew have also found success on the defensive end, holding their opponents to 39 percent from the field this season. 

However, the Sun Devils’ opponent for Saturday hasn’t found the same success under Billi Chambers in her first season.

Xavier has started the year off with a six-game losing streak. So far, it is one of the worst scoring teams in the nation at 52.7 points per game, along with being one of the worst overall shooting teams, ranking in the bottom 200 in the country in overall field goal percentage and bottom 300 in free throw and three-point percentage. 

Through the Musketeers’ hardships, there have been bright spots, however. Senior guard Mackayla Scarlett has led the team in scoring with just under 16 points per game, while senior forward Nila Blackford has taken care of a majority of the rebounding duties, recording 11 per game.

With these two opponents on the horizon, ASU hopes to continue its strong start to non-conference play and build on its two-game winning streak.

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