(Tucson, AZ) The Big Time hit the University of Arizona as it hosted the first ever Final Four game. The WNIT Tournament was good to Arizona as they didn’t have to venture out of the confines of McKale Center.
Only four teams remain as the Wildcats take on the Big 12’s Texas Christian University from Fort Worth Texas. In the other side of the bracket Northwestern University from Evanston Illinois beat James Madison University to reach the Championship Game.
TCU is looked to tie a school record of twenty five wins and this game was the first time the Horned Frogs have played in the month of April.
Arizona is only Pac-12 team in the WNIT. The Wildcats have improved their win total to twenty two and have sixteen more victories than last season.
TCU won the tip and hit the first basket of the game, a three pointer to get the National Semi-Final underway.
With three minutes gone in the first quarter, senior Tee Tee Starks picked up a missed shot to put it back in and get the Cats on the board. Arizona had missed two shots badly from the outside but stellar defense had held the Horned Frogs to just the opening three pointer.
An “in your face” three pointer and a steal and layup by sophomore Aari McDonald put the Cats up 7-6 heading into the first media timeout.
Both teams shot poorly to start the game, TCU was 2-9 and the Wildcats weren’t much better at 3-10.
After an opening air ball from three, McDonald drained her second bomb out of the timeout.
The Horned Frogs found out early you can’t guard McDonald one on one.
This Wildcat team was ball hawking, blocking shots and causing shot clock violations the likes that TCU hadn’t seen. The PAC-12 is the best women’s basketball conference in the nation.
A three pointer at the buzzer by TCU senior guard Dakota Vann cut the Cat’s lead in half to end the quarter 12-9.
A basket and a steal of a lazy pass by Wildcat junior Lucia Alonso got the Horned Frogs back on top, 13-12 briefly until Starks hit a three to put Arizona back on top 15-13 with two minutes gone in the second quarter.
Zona’s outside shooting started to catch fire from beyond the arc as sophomore Sam Thomas and McDonald hit back to back to back three’s. That gave the Wildcats a it’s biggest lead of the half 24-13. The Frogs were forced to call timeout to stem the tide as Arizona had struck from beyond the arc six times.
TCU started to try to force the ball inside but the collapsing 2-3 zone defense denied any baskets. On the other end Junior Dominique McBryde got into three ball club from the top of the key and the Wildcats were on a 15-0 run. The packed house in McKale was loud and ready to explode.
The Horned Frogs got a couple of free throws and a three pointer got the deficit back to ten 27-17.
A quick four points just prior to half got TCU right back in the game at the half. Arizona for all the shooting success only had a 29-23 lead heading into the locker room.
From the poor shooting start both teams had, Arizona ended the half shooting 34.4% (11-32) and the Horned Frogs at 30% (9-30). TCU held a big edge on the glass 27-15 with ten offensive rebounds.
Thomas got the Cats off to a good start hitting a three on their first possession. They Zona defense followed that up with another shot clock violation on the Frogs with lockdown defense.
The teams traded baskets until Reese scored down low off a nice entry pass and followed up with a three from the right wing. The Cats had a 37-28 lead at the six minute mark of the third quarter.
The officials were definitely letting both teams play as Arizona hadn’t shot a free throw all game at the 4:40 media timeout.
Freshman Samaj Smith shot the first free throws of the game for the Cats at 3:38 of third quarter making one of two and McDonald followed with a driving layup. Cats were back up by ten 40-30.
Again at the waning moments of the third quarter TCU hit a three pointer to cut the lead back into single digits. After three quarters in the National Semi-Final the Wildcats led 40-33.
With 8:02 left in the game, consecutive baskets by roommates Starks and McDonald put the lead to eleven, 44-33 and TCU coach Raegan Pebley was forced to call a timeout. The announced crowd of 10,135 went crazy!
TCU started hitting threes and cut the Cat’s lead to five, 46-41 forcing Barnes to call a timeout with 4:32 left.
A lazy inbounds pass from McDonald out of the timeout was stolen by junior Kiana Ray for a layup. McDonald atoned for her error and made a two driving layups. It was 50-45 with 2:36 left.
Things started to get chippy with a minute and a half left as Barnes went off on refs.
TCU went into a full court trap having to foul but they had only been called for two fouls so the ball was taken out of bounds until McBryde hit two clutch free throws to give the Cats a 54-47 lead with 57.5 seconds left and a Horned Frog timeout.
Starks missed both free throws, but an alert McBryde got the rebound and hit both her shots. A missed shot by TCU put Starks back at the line where made one of two.
Arizona called timeout after a Horned Frog put back on a missed shot to settle things down with 17.3 seconds left.
TCU had to foul but McBryde hit a pair that was the dagger, 59-50 with a scant 15.9 seconds to go. The final score was 59-53 Cats.
With ten seconds left, McDonald missed both free throws but Thomas once again as she’s done all year made a block at a crucial time.
Arizona heads to the National Championship Game against Northwestern University Saturday at noon.
Coach Barnes will have come full circle as the last WNIT Arizona won in 1996 was against the same Northwestern Wildcats.
