Friday, February 2
Tempe, AZ
7:00 PM
University of Washington
at
Arizona State
Huskies Head To The Desert; Battle Arizona State on Friday
January 30, 2018 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE --- Washington heads back on the road this week, traveling to the desert to face Arizona State on Friday at 8:00 p.m. MT (7:00 p.m. PT) at Wells Fargo Arena. The game is being broadcast on the Pac-12 Network with Krista Blunk on the call. Fans can also catch the game on KKNW 1150 AM in Seattle with Gary Hill Jr. calling the action. His broadcast is also available on gohuskies.com.
The Huskies were once again bit by a bad quarter in a 72-61 loss to USC. Despite trailing by as many as 27 in the first half, the Huskies rallied in the second and closed to within 10 but could not get closer. Amber Melgoza led the way for the Huskies with 25 points, scoring 20+ points for the ninth time this season and the sixth time in 10 Pac-12 games. The sophomore scored 13 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-8 shooting including a pair of three-pointers.
Scouting the Sun Devils
Arizona State has won two of its last three games including a big win over then-No. 23 California on Sunday, defeating the Golden Bears 57-42 at Cal. The Sun Devils had lost their previous four games and are tied for fourth in the conference standings with a 6-4 Pac-12 record.
ASU has been solid at home, posting a 10-1 overall record including a 3-1 record in Pac-12 games. The lone loss was a 58-56 defeat to Utah two weeks ago. Over the last four seasons, the Sun Devils have won 85.5% of their home games. This season, ASU is just 5-6 away from home including neutral site games.
Arizona State's strength is its defense. This season, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing just 57.5 points per game. That number goes up a bit in conference play to 62.9 ppg, but ASU has the best 3-pt field goal defense in the Pac-12 at 27.2%.
Junior forward Kianna Ibis leads ASU with 13.1 points per game including 14.4 ppg in Pac-12 play. She is shooting 50.0% from the field overall. Sophomore guard Robbi Ryan has turned it on in conference play, averaging 10.4 points through 10 Pac-12 games.
All-Time Series Record
Arizona State leads the all-time series by a narrow 32-31 margin thanks to a sweep of the season series last year. However–even with those UW wins last season–the Huskies have won just five times in the last 24 match-ups between the two teams. Arizona State won 15 of 16 games between 2005 and 2012, though the teams have split the last eight games.
Up Next
The Huskies close out their trip to the desert, traveling to face Arizona on Sunday at Noon MT (11:00 am PT) at the McKale Center. Washington then returns home to face the Oregon schools in its penultimate home-stand of the season.
Last Time Out
Washington fell behind early and despite a late rally was not able to dig out of the hole, falling 72-61 to USC. The Huskies dropped to 7-14 with their second-straight loss and to 1-9 in the conference. The Trojans improved to 15-6 and to 5-5 in the conference on the heels of their third-straight victory.
Amber Melgoza was the lone Washington player in double-figures, scoring 25 points including 13 in the fourth quarter. It was her ninth game with 20 or more points this year including the third time in her last four games. Hannah Johnson and Mai-Loni Henson each recorded nine points for the Huskies with Kierra Collier contributing eight.
The Huskies trailed by as many as 27 in the first half, but mounted an impressive comeback, outscoring the Trojans 53-27 the rest of the way. Washington won the second half and closed the gap to 10 in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in all but two Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13.8 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has been red-hot since the start of conference play, especially over her last seven games. Johnson is averaging a double-double over her last six games, averaging 12.1 points and 10.9 rebounds over that stretch. Since the start of Pac-12 play, Johnson leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game and is adding 10.9 ppg. That includes just six total rebounds through the first three games of Pac-12 play.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last seven games. Her latest record-breaking performance came last weekend when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98). On Friday, she had 14 rebounds and a career-high 17 points vs #13 UCLA.
The most impressive fact is those numbers have come against two of the best rebounders in the Pac-12. Johnson had 11 boards at Cal, out-rebounding All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. Against UCLA, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza poured in 25 points in Sunday's game against USC, giving her 45 points for the weekend series against the LA schools. Melgoza has scored 20+ points nine times this season including six times in 10 Pac-12 games. Over the last 12 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.9 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 20.0 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
49er Club
The Huskies' goal in each game is to put the opponent in the "49er Club" by holding them to 49 or fewer points. Washington was able to do that for the first time this season when it limited Washington State to 49 points in a 56-49 victory on Jan. 21. The Huskies previous opponent low had been 64 in a 67-64 win over Creighton on Nov. 24.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.76 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.24. Washington also leads the conference in three-point field goals attempted (549) and is third in three-pointers made with (174) and three-point makes per game (8.3). The Huskies also rank third in steals (210) and steals per game (10.0).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 20.0 ppg and is fourth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.6 ppg, fourth in total points (369) and is seventh in free throw percentage at 75.0%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.0%, fifth in steals at 1.86 per game, and fifth in three-pointers made with 2.00 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 14 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 21 games with Amber Melgoza making 17 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 16 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 14. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.3 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.3, Henson playing 24.5 and Johnson checking in at 23.0 minutes per game. Overall, the Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their first 21 games including seven different combinations over the last eight games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 29th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 31st most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#6 Oregon, #9 UCLA, #16 Oregon State, #24 Stanford, #25 California, with Arizona State receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #18 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App, which can be downloaded on either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win at Idaho on December 1, but lost 85-62 at Boise State on Dec. 7 and 79-59 at home to Idaho State in the Huskies season opener.
The Huskies were once again bit by a bad quarter in a 72-61 loss to USC. Despite trailing by as many as 27 in the first half, the Huskies rallied in the second and closed to within 10 but could not get closer. Amber Melgoza led the way for the Huskies with 25 points, scoring 20+ points for the ninth time this season and the sixth time in 10 Pac-12 games. The sophomore scored 13 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-8 shooting including a pair of three-pointers.
Scouting the Sun Devils
Arizona State has won two of its last three games including a big win over then-No. 23 California on Sunday, defeating the Golden Bears 57-42 at Cal. The Sun Devils had lost their previous four games and are tied for fourth in the conference standings with a 6-4 Pac-12 record.
ASU has been solid at home, posting a 10-1 overall record including a 3-1 record in Pac-12 games. The lone loss was a 58-56 defeat to Utah two weeks ago. Over the last four seasons, the Sun Devils have won 85.5% of their home games. This season, ASU is just 5-6 away from home including neutral site games.
Arizona State's strength is its defense. This season, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing just 57.5 points per game. That number goes up a bit in conference play to 62.9 ppg, but ASU has the best 3-pt field goal defense in the Pac-12 at 27.2%.
Junior forward Kianna Ibis leads ASU with 13.1 points per game including 14.4 ppg in Pac-12 play. She is shooting 50.0% from the field overall. Sophomore guard Robbi Ryan has turned it on in conference play, averaging 10.4 points through 10 Pac-12 games.
All-Time Series Record
Arizona State leads the all-time series by a narrow 32-31 margin thanks to a sweep of the season series last year. However–even with those UW wins last season–the Huskies have won just five times in the last 24 match-ups between the two teams. Arizona State won 15 of 16 games between 2005 and 2012, though the teams have split the last eight games.
Up Next
The Huskies close out their trip to the desert, traveling to face Arizona on Sunday at Noon MT (11:00 am PT) at the McKale Center. Washington then returns home to face the Oregon schools in its penultimate home-stand of the season.
Last Time Out
Washington fell behind early and despite a late rally was not able to dig out of the hole, falling 72-61 to USC. The Huskies dropped to 7-14 with their second-straight loss and to 1-9 in the conference. The Trojans improved to 15-6 and to 5-5 in the conference on the heels of their third-straight victory.
Amber Melgoza was the lone Washington player in double-figures, scoring 25 points including 13 in the fourth quarter. It was her ninth game with 20 or more points this year including the third time in her last four games. Hannah Johnson and Mai-Loni Henson each recorded nine points for the Huskies with Kierra Collier contributing eight.
The Huskies trailed by as many as 27 in the first half, but mounted an impressive comeback, outscoring the Trojans 53-27 the rest of the way. Washington won the second half and closed the gap to 10 in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in all but two Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13.8 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has been red-hot since the start of conference play, especially over her last seven games. Johnson is averaging a double-double over her last six games, averaging 12.1 points and 10.9 rebounds over that stretch. Since the start of Pac-12 play, Johnson leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game and is adding 10.9 ppg. That includes just six total rebounds through the first three games of Pac-12 play.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last seven games. Her latest record-breaking performance came last weekend when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98). On Friday, she had 14 rebounds and a career-high 17 points vs #13 UCLA.
The most impressive fact is those numbers have come against two of the best rebounders in the Pac-12. Johnson had 11 boards at Cal, out-rebounding All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. Against UCLA, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza poured in 25 points in Sunday's game against USC, giving her 45 points for the weekend series against the LA schools. Melgoza has scored 20+ points nine times this season including six times in 10 Pac-12 games. Over the last 12 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.9 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 20.0 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
49er Club
The Huskies' goal in each game is to put the opponent in the "49er Club" by holding them to 49 or fewer points. Washington was able to do that for the first time this season when it limited Washington State to 49 points in a 56-49 victory on Jan. 21. The Huskies previous opponent low had been 64 in a 67-64 win over Creighton on Nov. 24.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.76 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.24. Washington also leads the conference in three-point field goals attempted (549) and is third in three-pointers made with (174) and three-point makes per game (8.3). The Huskies also rank third in steals (210) and steals per game (10.0).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 20.0 ppg and is fourth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.6 ppg, fourth in total points (369) and is seventh in free throw percentage at 75.0%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.0%, fifth in steals at 1.86 per game, and fifth in three-pointers made with 2.00 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 14 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 21 games with Amber Melgoza making 17 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 16 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 14. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.3 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.3, Henson playing 24.5 and Johnson checking in at 23.0 minutes per game. Overall, the Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their first 21 games including seven different combinations over the last eight games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 29th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 31st most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#6 Oregon, #9 UCLA, #16 Oregon State, #24 Stanford, #25 California, with Arizona State receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #18 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App, which can be downloaded on either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win at Idaho on December 1, but lost 85-62 at Boise State on Dec. 7 and 79-59 at home to Idaho State in the Huskies season opener.
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