While most of us were enjoying a relaxing Thanksgiving Break, the Arizona State women’s basketball team was competing in the 2012 South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sun Devils beat Northern Iowa in their first match-up 66-63, then lost to North Carolina State 72-68 the next day, and ended the tournament with a dominating 74-58 victory over Florida. With this 2-1 record, the Sun Devils were crowned tournament champions.
After coming off a successful tournament, the Sun Devils must keep up their momentum as they continue play this Saturday and Sunday in the ASU Classic at Wells Fargo Arena. Tip off on Saturday starts at 1 p.m. when the Sun Devils face Binghamton. Binghamton comes in looking to capture their first victory of the season.
Keys to Victory
1. Dominate the Boards
In the past games, the Sun Devils have been a force to be reckoned with when rebounding. Junior Joy Burke is coming off her first career double-double and combined for a total of 23 rebounds in the Las Vegas Shootout. She will need to continue her consistent rebounding and lead the way for the rest of the team.
2. Keep Turnovers to a Minimum
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Sun Devils turned the ball over 59 times in the three games. In order to be successful in this weekend’s match-up, the team will have to continue to limit its mistakes. On a positive note, the Lady Devils recorded 25 steals over the weekend, including 11 from sophomore guard Promise Amukamara. ASU allowed only a season best four points off turnovers against the University of Florida.
3. Stay Focused
Though it may be tempting to overlook the first game due to Binghamton’s 0-6 record, the Sun Devils need to start fast and keep control of the game, both offensively and defensively. In all three Thanksgiving games, the maroon and gold led at the half.
Based on the outcome of Saturday’s games, ASU will go on to face either UNLV or No. 24 Dayton at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
