(Tucson, AZ) The crowd was electric, the message board had professional Wildcat athletes giving a pep message to the Cats. Everything was set to go off at a moments notice.
Northwestern got off to a quick start, but at the seven minute mark, the Wildcats off turnovers and smart defense came roaring back to take a 9-5 lead and a time out by the Cats from Evanston, IL.
Good ball movement out of the timeout by NU had a wide open look for the three pointer. Cate Reese came back with a key offensive rebound to score and complete the old fashioned three point play.
Zona scored on a made for TV fast break by keeping the ball in the middle and running the wings to score as the place erupted and extended the lead 16-8. The Cats were on a 14-3 run over the last 4:33
Northwestern came back a bit to score the last four points of the quarter to make it 16-12 at the end of one period.
NU’s outside shot started falling and had the Wildcats up only by a bucket until senior Tee Tee Starks came off the bench to hit a three. This jump started the Zona and Reese followed with a basket down low to make it 23-14 at the seven minute mark in the half.
Time was called again by NU to stop the momentum and figure out an offensive strategy. They had not scored in the last 2:18 of the quarter.
NU freshman guard Veronica Burton trimmed the lead with a dead eye three ball, but every time the Northwestern Cats hit a big shot, the U of A answered with multiple baskets and a ten point lead 27-17 with 3:20 to play in the first half.
Arizona’s defense was on point to the tune of 23% shooting by Northwestern and answering every attempted comeback. They headed to the locker room with Zona up 30-17.
The Big 10 Cats came out of the locker room and hit their first shot by sophomore Lindsey Pulliam and again Arizona scores two quick buckets for a quick five points by All American Aari McDonald.
With 6:30 left in the third quarter Arizona wanted to punch the Northwestern Cats in the head and make this a laugher 39-23.
A statement was made at the 4;50 mark when the ball went down low to NU junior Abi Scheid and freshman center Samaj Smith blocked it saying, “not in my house” and ignited the team on the other end.
Out of the third media timeout, Starks hit long jumpers just inside the arc and the Cats had a eighteen point lead 46-28.
This Northwestern team was in the top five three point shooting teams on the country and Zona extended their perimeter defense to keep their long shots in check. The Big 10 Cats still had a remarkable 40% from beyond the arc which was the only thing that keep them from being completely blown out. Arizona extended its halftime lead and was up 49-33 after three quarters.
McDonald with a sweet jump stop score down low and Arizona had a 28-8 point advantage in the paint.
Northwestern had to come out in a ball hawking man to man defense that trapped in the corners but Zona calmly moved the ball around the perimeter to find open jump shots. Super Soph Sam Thomas hit a straightaway three from the top of the key followed by Starks with a two from the left wing. At the final media timeout, Arizona had a 56-38 lead.
The announced crowd was the largest women’s crowd in the history of McKale Center at 14,644. Loud would be an understatement as the decible level was often times was over 100.
With 1:55 to play, NU had nothing left in the tank and the Tucson Cats just played deliberate ball control offense against the full court press.
In a game where Arizona didn’t play exceptionally well offensively, the big factor was their lockdown defense holding Northwestern to only 13-49 shooting and 26.7%.
Zona had been out rebounded by TCU in semi-final game last Wednesday by a huge margin, today turned the table on Northwestern with 45-32 edge on the glass.
Arizona had three players in double figures paced by the All Amercan McDonald with 19, Reese with 13 and Starks with 12 on 5-7 shooting and 2-4 from three point land.
Both teams combined for 37 turnovers caused by defenses from each squad.
FINAL SCORE: Arizona 56 Northwestern 42
The WNIT Title was Arizona’s and capped off a magical season in just Coach Adía Barnes third year.
The growth of this Arizona team has been remarkable inasmuch not having a full squad due to transfers and having three players leave the team early in the year. The injury bug didn’t bite the Cats this year as Barnes’s first two years.
With Starks staying next year and the group of promising incoming recruits along with the entire startling lineup back, this team will be scary good.
Brick by Brick, this program is in the early stages of building a top tier national powerhouse. Things are being done the proper way and young players are now hearing the words, Arizona Women’s Basketball is a place you want to play.
McDoanld and Reese made the All Tournament Team and McDonald was selected as the MVP
The crowd today was phenomenal and everyone stayed the entire game. Tucson area families, kids of all ages and new fans that have never witnessed a women’s game supported this team from he beginning of the WNIT til the culmination of the championship. Arizona outdrew several college programs entire season attendance totals just in this tournament.
Throngs of Ex-Wildcat athletes from different sports made videos all this week sending their support to Coach Barnes and the Team going into the Championship Game. In the post game press conference I asked the players what that meant to them, their answers were unanimously grateful.
If you haven’t gotten your season tickets yet for the 2019-20 season, don’t wait too long as the sellout today was an indication of the love for this program and the things to come.
