Previewing Vital Week Ahead for Molly Miller, Arizona State Basketball
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TEMPE -- The Arizona State women's basketball team (22-7, 9-7 Big 12) continued efforts to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 season with an 81-56 triumph over the Houston Cougars at home on Saturday afternoon.
The Sun Devils continue to be at the center of the bubble despite already earning 22 victories, with much of the reasoning being rooted in the relatively weak non-conference schedule that was built up.
Now, Arizona State faces what is potentially one of the most challenging weeks of the regular season, as they are set to take on a team that previously handed a defeat, as well as another that sits inside of the top five in league standings.
Follow the final two games of the regular season that are set to take place over the next several days below with Arizona State on SI.
Tuesday: Brigham Young
Brigham Young handed Arizona State one of their seven losses on the season - the Cougars were actually the first blemish on their season. Brigham Young earned a 71-62 victory in Provo on January 3 in a game that the Sun Devils got outrebounded 54-25 in.
BYU's leading scorer Delaney Gibb dropped 18 points in the win, and is coming off of a season-high 37 point performance in a win over Utah on Saturday.
The Sun Devils and Cougars are set to take on one another in a senior night setting for ASU at 6:30 P.M. MST, with the broadcast set to be on ESPN+.
Sunday: @ Texas Tech
Arizona State taking BYU down would go an incredible way towards locking up an NCAA tournament berth, but a win over ranked Texas Tech would likely cement one of the 68 spots in the event.
Texas Tech is every bit as good as their 24-5 record says - as the team is led by a trio of guards that possess impressive shotmaking sensibilities, while their disruptive defense results in an average of six blocks and 10 steals per game. There will not be a simple path for Arizona State to come out of Lubbock with a victory, but Miller's squad appears poised to finally secure a season-defining victory. Expect junior forward McKinna Brackens to be in-line for another big day in a game that potentially favors the Red Raiders on paper.
Arizona State and Texas Tech take on one another in the regular season finale at 1:00 P.M. MST.
Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.