(Tucson, AZ)
Bill McCulloch
Going into the game with the twenty third ranked California Golden Bears, the task was to slow down player of the year candidate Kristine Anigwe. After all, she averages a double-double with eighteen points and ten rebounds a game.
Arizona came out with two-three zone that packed the paint and forced the Lady Bears into jump shots and three point attempts. Whenever Anigwe touched the ball inside, Arizona’s Destiny Graham fronted her and received backside help from Sam Thomas.
The Bears hit two three point baskets, one by Anigwe but Arizona’s defense did its job by pulling her out of the key into lower percentage shots.
The Cats post player, Destiny Graham hit two outside jumpers also drawing Anigwe out of rebounding position successfully and she only gathered one defensive rebound in the period.
The defensive strategy drawn up by Coach Adia Barnes was working, although the Arizona trailed at the end of the first quarter 13-9, the message had been sent.
With renewed confidence, the Wildcats came out in the second period with an inside-outside offensive game. Three pointers by Sam Thomas, Lucia Alonso and Sammy Fatkin got things going and inside scoring from Kat Wright, Fatkin and JaLea Bennett kept Cal off balance and the undersized Cats went into halftime lead 26-21 holding the ranked Bears to eight points in the quarter.
The key to the Wildcats first half success was a 16-4 scoring advantage inside and even on the boards 18-18 against a much taller Golden Bear Team.
Coming out the halftime break Cal Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb deployed a full court trapping defense that confused the Wildcats and already without ball handling guard Marlee Kyles, were forced into turnovers that allowed the Bears to go on a 12-0 run and regain the lead.
The Bears used their size inside and a couple of key three point baskets to storm back while the Cats with a short bench started to show fatigue. Throughout all the disruptive play, at the end of the third quarter Arizona only trailed by one point 38-37.
With one quarter to play, the Bears kept up their offensive assault to widen the lead to nine 50-41 with just under six and a half minutes left in the game. Then the Cats went on a 10-3 run with stellar defense scoring by Thomas, Fatkin and Bennett to pull within a bucket 53-51.
Off a steal and with twelve seconds to go the Cats appeared to have a break in transition but Alonso mishandled a pass that allowed Cal to get back on defense and Fatkin’s jumper at the buzzer was partially tipped and fell short. Final score 53-51 California.
The Arizona coaching staff had worked their game plan almost flawlessly, but the stamina factor again showed up. In the post game press conference Coach Barnes said, “I felt like we played well for about 30 minutes. I feel like we have grown in the last couple games, but there’s still a ways to go.
If there’s a silver lining in this loss, the fact that this Wildcat Team took the twenty third ranked team in the country down to the last possession. Staying competitive with them the entire contest is a testament to the hard work this coaching staff has put in and the rewards reaped will unveil themselves down the road.
Arizona goes back on the road with the Oregon Ducks on Friday and the Beavers of Oregon St. a week from today.
