CORVALLIS -- We are still more than a month away from March Madness, the most critical portion of Oregon State's season.
But Monday night's contest against No. 8 Arizona State is about as big as it gets in the regular season.
First place in the Pac-12 is on the line, as the OSU-Arizona State winner will sit atop the standings and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The game is also a showcase opportunity for the conference as a whole, as it's the first ESPN2 "Big Monday" national broadcast in history to feature two Pac-12 women's basketball teams.
Last week, OSU coach Scott Rueck said he expected a "street-fight feel" against the Sun Devils, given the way OSU and Arizona State both play defense.