ASU women starting strong

After reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament in 2007, the ASU Women’s basketball team is again hitting a high note.

The team is off to its best start ever in the Pac-10 conference, at 5-0 in the conference and 11-5 overall. Next up for the team are home games at Wells Fargo Arena Jan. 17 against Cal, and Jan. 20 against Stanford.

For the Stanford game, the team is hoping to make history with a new attendance record. This season ASU elected to participate in the NCAA/Pac-10 “Pack the House” challenge, in which member schools compete nationally with their conference rivals to set attendance records, win prizes and boost the sport of women’s hoops within their communities.

Tickets for this game can be bought online at a discounted price of $2 general admission, or $6 reserved seating, by using the promotional code STANWBB.

Purchase of online tickets through Jan. 19 guarantees eligibility to win prizes such as autographed basketballs, posters, Gordon Biersch restaurant coupons and four women’s basketball tickets to any remaining home game this season.

Those attending the game will have a chance to see a strong Sun Devils women’s team. Among the highlights:

• ASU is 30-2 in its last 32 regular-season Pac-10 games going back to the 2004-2005 season. The Sun Devils closed the 2005-2006 season by winning their final nine Pac-10 games. ASU set a school record last season by winning 16 of 18 Pac-10 games (two losses came versus Stanford). ASU’s 5-0 Pac-10 record is its best-ever start in league play.

• The Sun Devils have won 15 of their last 16 Pac-10 contests away from home, including the last 10 in a row. The lone blemish during that stretch was a 77-71 setback at Stanford last season (Dec. 30, 2006).

• Junior Lauren Lacey has averaged 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds during ASU’s current five-game winning streak. Lacey, who also has shot 53.1 percent (34 of 64) during the winning streak, has scored in double figures in ASU’s last 12 contests, including a career-high 23 points Jan. 3 at Oregon.

• She has 1,086 career points now, but Jill Noe needs just 49 more to move past Jovonne Smith (1989-1992) for 11th place on ASU’s all-time scoring list. Noe, who also is one of ASU’s all-time top three-point threats with 125 career three-pointers, needs eight more treys to pass Betsy Boardman (2000-2005) for third on ASU’s all-time list.

For more information on ASU women’s basketball, visit the Web site www.thesundevils.com.