MATT CAPOWSKI/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior forward Krista Warren attempts a jumpshot against Arizona State last week in the Wildcats upset victory. The Wildcats face the Sun Devils again in the first-ever Pacific 10 Conference Tournament.

Women's basketball opens against familiar foe ASU

The Arizona women's basketball team is hoping the third time is a charm as it begins its quest to win the Pacific 10 Women's Basketball Tournament tomorrow afternoon when it takes on rival ASU for the third time this season.

No. 6 Arizona (14-13, 10-8 Pacific-10) hopes that playing the role of the underdog against the No. 3 Sun Devils (21-8, 12-6 Pac-10) will work to its advantage.

"When you play someone a third time, you know its strengths," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said. "I feel the pressure is all on ASU. We're the team no one wants to play."

Like in the two rivals' regular season games - the Sun Devils defeated UA 87-64 on Dec. 30 and the Wildcats won 72-66 on Feb. 23 - pride and rivalry will come into factor tomorrow.

But Bonvicini said there is a bigger factor on the line: the chance to peak at the end and come out as the tournament winner.

"There's more at stake, but that's what makes it exciting," Bonvicini said. "To see who peaks at the end."

The last time UA and ASU met in McKale Center during the season finale, ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said the Sun Devils did not play typical ASU basketball.

Among the problems her team faced was being out-rebounded by Arizona, making the Wildcats just the sixth team that has been able to do so this season against ASU.

The Sun Devils have two strengths working in their favor: senior guard Amanda Levens and center Melody Johnson.

Levens leads the Sun Devils in scoring by averaging 17.1 points per game.

Johnson is second in the Pac-10 with a 55.1 shooting percentage from the floor to average 12.1 points per game.

Arizona must concentrate on the basics.

The guards must penetrate on offense and find the open player, Bonvicini said.

She also said UA needs to do an even better job of out-rebounding the Sun Devils and must crash both the offensive and defensive boards.

In its last time out, Arizona had difficulty getting the ball in the hands of its leading scorer, senior forward Elizabeth Pickney.

She was held to just four points and, although the guards stepped up in her scoring absence and UA defeated ASU, sophomore guard Aimee Grzyb said they have to get the ball down low.

"When I'm open, I'm going to shoot the ball," Grzyb said. "I'll do the little things to help the team but we need to get the ball in Liz's hands so she can do her thing."

Although there is the in-state rivalry that the Wildcats must defend tomorrow afternoon, their chances of earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament is also at stake.

The Wildcats must win the Pac-10 Tournament in order to get an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman guard Dee-Dee Wheeler said tomorrow's matchup will be one of the toughest UA has faced all year.

"There's a lot standing on this game," Wheeler said. "It's going to be much more physical and a battle. They want revenge, and we're just going to have to keep our heads in the game."